Helping the Helpless
by singntheshower
Summary: Finn Hudson scooped up the serving of macaroni and cheese while working in the soup kitchen and looked up, only to look into the eyes of the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He'd come to learn that her name was Rachel Berry. And she was homeless.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This story is completely AU. And totally Finchel :) Some other characters may pop up from time to time, but if you don't like Finchel, this story probably isn't for you! Regardless, I hope you read and review! Even the silent readers out there are greatly appreciated.

And sadly, I do not own anything from the world of Glee.

Helping the Helpless: Chapter One

21 year old New Yorker Finn Hudson walked into the warm soup kitchen where he volunteered almost every evening after working at the sports agency. He wasn't a sports agent, but he was the assistant to one. Finn's job was to keep an eye on the local high schools and colleges, looking for talented individuals that his company could represent.

It was a Friday, so he knew the place would be packed with tons of people that would need food. The sad thing was, the soup kitchen was low on food, so the portions would be even smaller than usual. And they were already small to begin with.

Finn worked regularly at the soup kitchen ever since high school. He had a friend named Sam whose family lost everything and became homeless. He gave Sam some clothes and stuff, but Finn couldn't do much else about it. But Finn decided that he could help other people that were in the same situation.

So, like every other night, Finn took his spot in the food line after washing his hands. He had his serving spoon at the ready as the crowd started coming through the line.

He knew most of the people in line – they were regulars at the soup kitchen. Most of them were rather nice and there was only one guy that was kind of crazy. He barked at whoever tried to talk to him. So Finn usually served him in silence.

He scooped some of the macaroni and cheese and looked up at the next person in line. Then, his heart started pounding. He was looking at the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. Her hair was dark brown and was thrown up in a ponytail. Her eyes were wide and the most chocolate brown he had ever seen. They were framed by the thickest eyelashes. Her skin was tan and gorgeous.

Finn wondered what someone like her was doing in this line of homeless people. Then, he noticed her clothes. They were a little dirty and big; she was too tiny for them to fit. She was holding a bag very closely to her body; it wasn't very large, but he knew that she must have important things inside.

"Hi," he said after a few moments. "I'm Finn."

She looked up at him shyly. "I'm Rachel," she said in a clear, beautiful voice. Finn looked down and put her serving of macaroni and cheese on the plate. "Thank you," she said with a small smile.

"Anytime," Finn said with a smirk. Rachel looked him in the eyes and smiled a little once more before moving down the line. Finn was in a daze. It took one of his regulars, Linda, three tries to get his attention. He continued scooping the macaroni, but his mind was on the girl, wondering what she was doing in a place like this.

There was no one else in line once the food was gone. The group usually ate their meals quickly before hurrying off to the shelter for the night. It was the middle of December, so it was pretty cold outside on this evening in New York. Most of the homeless had already eaten and left for the evening. Finn was surprised, and a little happy, to see that Rachel was still sitting at the table, picking at her hotdog. He decided to go over there and talk to her. It couldn't hurt, right? He wanted to know more about her and maybe even help her in some way if he could.

Finn walked over to the long table and sat across from Rachel.

"Hi," he said warmly. Rachel looked up and smiled a little.

"Hello," she replied. She then returned her attention to the hotdog and picked at the bun, ignoring the hotdog.

"Do you not like hotdogs?" he asked.

"I used to be a vegan," Rachel answered. "It's still a little hard for me to make myself eat meat."

"Oh," Finn said. "Well, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to…"

"I kind of need to," she said quietly.

"Why?" Finn asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, for one, I'm starving, so it's really in my best interest to eat it. And secondly… I'm pregnant, so I need the protein," she said this last part quickly and quietly.

"Wow," Finn said lowly. "Are you… is the father in the picture?" he asked. Rachel looked up at him and he could see anger clouding her expression.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "That was rude. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's… it's okay," she said. The anger was replaced by sadness. "I'm just still a little upset over the situation… And to answer your question, no. The father isn't in the picture. He ruined my life and then just disappeared. But I don't mean that about my baby," she said quickly. She placed her hand on her stomach and smiled down at it sweetly. "I'm happy about the baby. He just ruined everything else."

"I'm sorry," Finn said again, looking down. "How far along are you?"

"Two and a half months," she said. "I've been… on my own… for the last two weeks."

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking…"

"It's actually a long, confusing, sad story," she said.

Finn looked down at his hands that were folded on top of the table. They sat there in companionable silence as Rachel made herself eat the hotdog.

"How was it?" Finn asked with a smirk when she was finished.

"It wasn't that bad, honestly. I just feel bad for all the little pigs that had to die to make it," Rachel said quietly. Finn had to smile; she was just too adorable for words.

"How old are you, Rachel?" he asked.

"I'll be twenty one on the nineteenth," she said.

"That's in three days," Finn said.

"Is it?" Rachel asked, looking confused. "You tend to forget the date when you just sit in the park all day," she said quietly.

Finn's heart broke a little. He knew he was being forward, but he had to ask it anyway. "Do you need a place to stay?" he asked Rachel.

She looked up at him quickly and looked flabbergasted for a second. "I… I can't ask you to do that," she said.

"You didn't ask; I offered," Finn said with a smile.

"I really appreciate the offer, but I can't accept. There are so many other people out there that need a place to stay more than I do. I've only been doing it for two weeks. It wouldn't be fair…" she reasoned.

Finn didn't quite understand why she was turning him down. "But you're pregnant," he protested. "And it's cold outside. I couldn't keep that on my conscience knowing that you were sleeping outside when I have plenty of room at my place."

Rachel reached out and placed a hand on both of his. He felt warmth spread through his body at her touch. "That's really sweet of you," she said with a smile. "But I'll be okay. I'll find something to do. I really couldn't burden you."

Finn felt like arguing with her, but he decided to let it go. He could tell she was stubborn. "Okay…" he said. Then, an idea occurred to him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his business cards. "But take this," he said, holding it out to her. "If you need anything, call me," Finn said firmly.

Rachel smiled widely at him and he was taken aback again.

Her smile was perfect and gorgeous. "Thank you, Finn. That means a lot," she said. She then looked up at the clock on the wall. "I really must be going. If I don't get to the park, someone will take my spot," she said, sounding a little embarrassed.

"I understand," he said. She stood and placed a hand to her stomach quickly before grabbing her tray. "I can take that up for you," he offered, standing up.

"I've got it, Finn. Thanks," she said. She grabbed her bag with her other hand and slung it over her shoulder. Finn walked up with her to the front as she dumped her tray. She placed it on the stack before turning to Finn.

"Thank you," she said again with another smile.

"No problem," Finn said, returning the smile. She surprised him by stepping forward and going on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek. He felt his cheeks redden. She stepped backwards away from him. "Stay safe," he said firmly.

"Don't worry about me, Finn. We'll be fine," she said, placing a hand on her stomach. Finn nodded, still feeling a little worried. He watched her walk away and go outside.

Finn then had to clean off the tables. The entire time, Rachel was on his mind.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel had her thickest jacket on, but it was still quite chilly outside. She had to sell most of her clothes to a second hand clothing store so that she would have enough money for the prenatal vitamins. She decided that her child was more important than having a lot of clothes. A change of clothes, the vitamins, her empty wallet and ID, and a toothbrush and toothpaste were all that she had in her bag.

She walked toward the park, which was a good five blocks away from the soup kitchen. She had Finn's card in the back pocket of her jeans. Just thinking about him made her smile.

Rachel was just passing an empty building when she felt someone tug on her arm, pulling her down the alley. She started panicking right away as she was thrown against the wall of the alleyway.

"Give me your bag," a deep voice commanded. It was dark in the alley, so she couldn't see his face very well, but some light reflected off of the knife he was holding in his hand.

"No, please!" she begged. "It's all I have!" The guy reached out and grabbed the strap. Rachel held onto it firmly and tried pulling it out of his arms. "Please! Just stop!"

"Hand it over!" he shouted, still pulling on the bag. But Rachel couldn't let go; every last thing she owned was in that bag. So, she gathered her strength and tugged back.

The man let out a frustrated groan before raising his other hand and slicing Rachel's left arm. The blade went deep and the pain caused Rachel to let go of the bag. Once the bag was free from her grasp, the man ran out of the alley and away from her.

Tears gathered in Rachel's eyes and started falling down her cheeks. Now what was she going to do? She had nothing left. And she was pretty sure she needed stitches. She pressed her other hand to the wound; she could feel the blood oozing out from between her fingers, but she continued applying pressure to it. She then started sobbing after realizing that she could have been stabbed anywhere else. She fought over that stupid bag and that man very easily could have killed her and her baby.

"I'm such an idiot," she sobbed loudly. She used her jacket sleeve to wipe the tears away before getting back to her feet. She now had no idea what to do with herself. She had no ID, so it would be hard for the hospital to help her. She had no vitamins, so she'd have to find a way to get enough sustenance for both her and the baby. She had no extra clothes and had absolutely no idea how to get some without money… Rachel was totally and completely screwed.

Then, an idea popped into her mind.

"Finn…" she said out loud to herself. She reached her bloody right hand into her back pocket and grabbed the business card out. She felt terrible about asking for help, but what other choice did she have?

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn had just grabbed a beer from the fridge and was about to sit and watch an old football game on TV when he heard a frantic knocking at his door. He wondered who it was. Quinn and Puck knew better than to come around here again and Kurt would have called before stopping by. Unless it was an emergency…

Finn set his beer down and practically jogged to the front door. He unlocked it quickly and opened it.

Rachel was standing outside of his apartment. Correction: A bloody Rachel was standing outside of his apartment.

"What happened?" Finn asked in a panic.

"I was mugged," Rachel said with tears in her eyes. "I was going to call, but I didn't have any money, so I just saw your address on the card and was wondering if you could help me…"

"Of course," Finn said quickly. "Come in."

Rachel smiled a little before walking into Finn's place.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked. Rachel looked up at him and grimaced before pulling up the sleeve to her bloody jacket. The cut was long and deep and looked like it needed stitches. "Come in the bathroom," he said, placing his hand on her back and leading her forward.

Rachel walked into the bathroom and Finn grabbed a rag out of the linen closet. He got it wet in the sink before holding it over Rachel's wound.

"This will probably hurt," he said with a frown.

"Just do it," she said. Finn nodded and pressed it forcefully to the wound. Rachel held in a whimper.

"Sorry," he said.

"Not your fault," Rachel managed to say between her teeth.

"We need to go to the hospital," he said. "Keep your hand on this. I'll get my coat."

Rachel nodded and took over. "But I don't have my ID," she said worriedly. "It was in my bag. He took everything."

"We'll explain that you got mugged. They'll understand," Finn said, going into his closet and grabbing his winter coat out.

"But I don't even have a permanent address for the bill!" Rachel said, still sounding worried.

"We'll use my address," Finn said quickly. "And before you complain, it's no big deal."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but gave up.

"But before we go, we need to clean your face up a bit. It's got a little blood on it," he said, going in the linen closet for another rag. He wet this rag in the sink like the other one. Then, he stooped down in front of Rachel so that he'd have a better view of her face. Even bloody, she was still beautiful.

He raised the rag and gently wiped the blood away. While he was concentrating on her face, Rachel was looking into his light brown eyes, mesmerized. She could see his light freckles covering his nose and cheeks. He was too handsome for words.

"There. All done," he said with a smirk.

"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said. "I didn't know where else to go."

"I'm glad you came here. I'm more than happy to help," he said with a smile. "Now, let's get you some stitches."

He led Rachel outside and they started walking side by side. It was very dark outside and Finn saw Rachel shiver out of the corner of his eye.

"Do you want my coat?" he asked. "I should have offered you one, but I forgot."

Rachel smiled up at him. "That's very kind, but I'll be fine. We're almost there. Plus, I really don't feel like getting blood over it."

Finn chuckled. "If you say so…"

Rachel had to get seven stitches when it was all said and done with. They even gave her some gauze and medical tape to keep it covered for the next two days. After a week, she could take the stitches out herself. Finn did give them his address, saying that Rachel lived with him. Rachel turned down talking to the police since she didn't see the man's face or anything.

"I can go to the store for you and get whatever you need. And you can stay at my place until you get back on your feet," Finn offered as they walked back to his place.

"Finn, I can't accept that," she said quickly. "You already took me to the hospital and everything. I owe you plenty."

"You don't owe me anything," Finn said. "I have money. More than enough for me to live on. It's really no big deal."

"Finn… you don't even know my full name… How can you offer me a place to stay if you don't even know my full name?" she said, trying to find some excuse.

"What is it?" he asked with a smile.

"Rachel Barbra Berry," she said.

"Well, I'm Finn Christopher Hudson. Nice to meet you," he said jokingly, holding his hand out. Rachel laughed and shook it.

"I still don't know, Finn…" she said a moment later.

"C'mon, Rach. I want to help you. Let me help," he said softly. Rachel looked up at him as they walked. She only saw concern on his face.

"Fine. But I'll clean your place for you. I noticed before that it wasn't the tidiest apartment. And I'll cook all the meals," she said. Her tone of voice made Finn realize that he couldn't sway her decision.

"Deal, roomie," he said with a smile, making Rachel laugh. They got back to his apartment minutes later.  
"You can throw your clothes in the washer. I have my own in the room off of the kitchen. And we can go and find you some more clothes tomorrow," Finn said.

"I plan on paying you back somehow, you know," she said.

"Whatever you say," Finn said patronizingly. "Stay here."

Before Rachel could respond, Finn went into his bedroom. Huffing, Rachel took a seat on his couch, waiting for him to come back.

Moments later, he walked in with two towels and some clothes. "You can wear my stuff for pajamas. It'll probably be huge on you, but it's pajamas, so…"

"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said with a smile.

"And you can take my bed if you want," he offered.

Rachel jumped up quickly. "Nope. That's where I draw the line. I'm your _guest_ but I'll be sleeping on the couch. I'm not taking your money, your hospitality _and_ your bed."

Finn chuckled. "Alright," he said. "So, what all do you need from the store?"

"Do you have shampoo and things like that?" she asked.

Finn nodded. "In the hall closet, there's some girly smelling shampoo and stuff. It's my stepbrother's, but I'll buy him more if he complains," he explained.

"That's fine," she said. "I will need some prenatal vitamins though. And a toothbrush."

"Okay," Finn said.

"But the vitamins are kind of pricey. I sold most of my clothes to get them," she said quietly.

"Don't worry about it. I have a gift card to the drug store from last Christmas I still haven't used," he said, shrugging. Rachel smiled at how adorable he was. "So, I'll just run to the store. You're probably still hungry, so help yourself to anything. I haven't eaten yet, so if you want to make dinner, feel free."

"Perfect," Rachel said with a smile. "Dinner should be ready by the time you get back."

"Awesome," Finn said enthusiastically. "See you soon."

-glee-glee-glee-

The shampoo, conditioner, and body wash smelled incredibly good. Rachel also found some razors in the closet, so she shaved for the first time in two weeks. When she got out, she only put Finn's shirt on; it was long enough to hide everything, so she could wash her underwear and wear them tomorrow.

She even found an extra brush in the closet, so she combed through her long hair with a real brush for the first time in a while; she had just used her fingers before. She brushed her short bangs down and smiled at herself in the mirror – she looked like herself again.

She put her hand to her stomach. "Everything's okay now, baby. We're going to be fine," she said warmly. She felt a little fluttering in her stomach and got excited. Rachel couldn't wait to feel her baby actually kick for the first time.

She put her clothes in the washer before walking barefoot into the kitchen. She was glad to see that Finn had bananas on the counter and decided to make him some of her famous banana bread to show her appreciation for everything he had done for her and the baby. After looking around some more, she found ingredients for lasagna. Her stomach growled in appreciation; it had been too long since she had lasagna.  
She started boiling the lasagna noodles. Once they were finished, she put the lasagna together and put it in the oven, adding extra cheese. Sure, she had been a vegan, but loved cheese now that she'd started eating animal byproducts.

She mixed the ingredients together for the banana bread and set that in the oven, too, reminding herself to get it out at 7:50. Rachel then started on the sink that was full of dishes.

Finn walked into the apartment and heard Rachel humming. The water was also running and the smell of lasagna and bananas filled the air. He walked into the kitchen with the bag and set it on the counter.

"Hey, Finn," Rachel said happily. "I didn't hear you come in."

"That's because of my ninja-like skills," he said jokingly, making Rachel giggle. "It smells really good in here…"

"That's because of my chef-like cooking skills," she said with a smile. "I'm making lasagna and my famous banana bread."

"Sounds good," Finn said with a smirk.

She finished the dishes with Finn sitting at the table. He offered to wrap up Rachel's stitches.

"Thanks," Rachel said, putting the gauze and medical tape down in front of him. "I was going to do it myself, but it's slightly difficult with only one hand."

"Don't mention it," he said with a smile. He picked up the gauze and carefully wrapped it around her wound. Every time his hand brushed her arm, he felt tingles; he wondered if she did, too.

Rachel watched Finn apply the gauze with such tenderness that her heart swelled. He really was an amazing guy. She couldn't help but be attracted to Finn, but it wasn't just because of him taking her in. He was just so sweet and kind that she found herself wanting to get to know him better.

"All done," Finn said after sticking on the last piece of medical tape.

"Perfect," she said, looking at this handiwork with a smile.

"Now, I didn't know what color you wanted, so I just kind of picked one," he said, reaching in the bag. He pulled out a pink toothbrush and handed it to Rachel.

"Pink's my favorite color," she said with a smile.

Finn laughed. "Awesome," he said. "And I had to ask for help with picking these out. I didn't know which one were the right ones…"

He grabbed them and held them out to Rachel. "They're the same ones I had," Rachel said with a smile. "Good job."

Rachel had to get up to get the banana bread out of the oven. She had to smack Finn's hand away after he tried to grab a piece.

"It's still hot!" she said with a laugh.

"Party pooper," Finn groaned.

"I'm just thinking about your taste buds. Wouldn't want them to get burned, would we?"she asked. Finn rolled his eyes.

"I'll go watch TV. Let me know when I can _finally_ have a piece," he said, sounding like an overdramatic child. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at him.

A little while later, the lasagna was done. She let it cool while she put her clothes in the dryer and started cleaning the place up a bit. She straightened up Finn's DVDs by the television, ignoring his joking complaints that she was in the way. He had clothes all over the place, which she collected and put in a hamper in his room. His bathroom also needed straightening up, which she did quickly.

Then, she went into the kitchen and determined that the lasagna was cool enough to eat. "Finn," she called. "Dinner's ready." She went to grab the plates out of the cabinet, but they were too high for her to reach.

"I'll get 'em," Finn said with a laugh. Rachel moved out of the way and frowned at Finn.

"Don't make fun of my lack of vertical ability," she said.

"I wasn't making fun of you," Finn said with two plates in his hands. "It's kind of cute how tiny you are. I can only imagine how small the baby's gonna be."

Rachel blushed. _Did he just call me cute?_ she wondered.

"My dads are both tall, so anything could happen. They're gay if you didn't catch on," she said, placing her hand on her stomach. She seemed sad for a moment before she continued. "And if my child is small, that could be a good thing. I was always the best at hide and seek." Finn laughed.

Rachel poured herself a glass of milk while Finn grabbed himself a beer. "You don't mind if I drink, do you?" he asked. Rachel rolled her eyes.

"This is _your_ apartment, Finn. And you're of age. I don't mind," she said. "But I appreciate you being so considerate." Finn didn't say anything back, but he smiled.

They both ate the lasagna rather quickly; Rachel was starving and Finn always ate that way.

"That was _so_ good," Finn said, rubbing his stomach in appreciation.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Rachel said. "Do you want some banana bread now?"

"Totally," Finn said with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

"How the hell did you learn to cook like this?" Finn asked after helping himself to a third piece of banana bread.

"I taught myself mostly. My fathers worked a lot at the law office, so I made the dinners most of the time," Finn noticed that she seemed sad again.

"Why didn't you go back to your dads' place?" Finn asked.

Rachel didn't really want to talk about it, but she figured that Finn deserved to know the truth after all he had done for her.

"My dads wanted me to go to law school, but I always had this dream of being on Broadway. We had this huge fight after graduation. They found out that I applied to NYADA instead of some law school and that I got in and accepted to go there. They told me that they were disappointed in me and that they wouldn't help me pay for school. They essentially kicked me out after that," Rachel said sadly.

"But that was how long ago? Have you talked to them since then?" he asked.

"I called when I found out I was pregnant. They were once again disappointed in me, saying that I wasn't financially secure enough or mature enough to be a mother. They told me to stop calling. So I did," Rachel said.

Finn reached out and grabbed her hand tightly. "I'm sorry," he said firmly.

"Don't be," Rachel said, forcing a tight smile. "I'm happy about having this baby. It's their loss if they don't want me or my baby in their lives."

"What about your mom?" Finn asked.

"My mother was a surrogate. I met her in high school, thinking that she would want a relationship with me, but she didn't," Rachel said, frowning. "I don't know why my parents want nothing to do with me, but I just know that I will never treat my child like this."

Finn smiled while still holding Rachel's hand. "I think you'll be a great mom."

"Thank you," Rachel said happily.

"Do you feel like talking about the father?" Finn asked.

"You're letting me stay here, so I think you should know…" she said quietly before clearing her throat. "So, I spent my freshman year at NYADA. I had a waitressing job and I was supporting myself and things were going great. Then, sophomore year, I met Jesse St. James. He was a Teacher's Assistant. He came onto me after class one day. I was interested and we started dating."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "He wanted to be a performer, too. He was quite demanding, though. You know, kind of a male diva. I mean, I'm a diva when it comes to performing and everything, but he just took it to a whole new level… Anyway, he was my first sexual experience. It happened junior year. I was on birth control, but I guess it failed or something. I told him that I was pregnant. I was elated, thinking that it was a miracle. He accused me of cheating on him, saying that the baby wasn't his. I was crushed…"

Rachel had to take another deep breath. Tears were starting to form in her eyes. Finn squeezed her hand even tighter. "A week later, I got a letter from the Dean's office saying that I was being considered for expulsion. I went to the meeting and Jesse was there, claiming that I seduced him to try and raise my grades," Rachel said, wiping her eyes.

"Don't tell me they believed him," Finn groaned.

Rachel nodded. "They believed him. So, I was expelled. I lived on campus, but since I was kicked out, I couldn't live there anymore. I didn't have much money since I lost my job a month before. They had to have cutbacks at the restaurant since business wasn't so great anymore.

"So, I had no furniture, no money, and nowhere to go. I couldn't call my dads and I didn't have any close friends that I could stay with. I had to sell most of my clothes and other things for money. I didn't have enough to stay in a hotel or anything for a long period of time, so I started sleeping at the park," Rachel said sadly. "So, that's it. That's my story."

Finn was speechless. He wondered what in the hell the universe had against this girl. It wasn't fair that she had to go through so much.

"I've told you enough about me. What about you?" she asked, changing her expression from one of sadness to one of interest.

"Well, my life hasn't been as hard as yours or anything," Finn said uneasily.

"That doesn't matter. Just tell me about you," she said with a smile.

"I went to high school in Lima, Ohio. Played football. I was the quarterback who dated the cheerleader… After high school, a buddy of mine got me an interview all the way out here at a sports agency. I got the job and have been working there for more than three years. I was still dating the cheerleader from high school and I found out she was pregnant earlier this year. She moved out here with me. Then, my buddy got drunk one night and confessed that the baby might be his. Her parents paid for one of those paternity tests while the baby was still in her stomach and it was his. I told them to never speak to me again and they haven't," Finn said.

Rachel sat there with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she said sympathetically.

"I'm alright now," Finn said. "That was this summer, so I've had time to get over it."

"Still, that's a hard thing to go through. I can't even imagine how terrible you must have felt," Rachel said.

"It sucked, you know? I thought the baby was mine and I was all excited and everything. Then I found out it wasn't and it felt like they just snatched the kid away from me," Finn said quietly.

"Someone as sweet as you doesn't deserve something like that," Rachel said firmly. "How did your family feel about it?"

"They were upset. My mom and stepdad thought they were about to be grandparents and everything. My stepbrother never really liked the girl, Quinn, but he was upset that I was so crushed," Finn explained.

"I'm really sorry," she said again.

"We've both been through stuff, but looks at us now," Finn said.

"Yeah. I'm broke and homeless," Rachel said with a humorless laugh.

"You're not homeless anymore," Finn reminded her with a smile.

"You're right," Rachel replied, smiling back at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Finn said, letting go of Rachel's hand and sitting back in the chair.

"Is your stepbrother gay? That shampoo _was_ quite girly," she said with a smile.

"Yeah. He's totally gay," Finn said, nodding. "If you saw him, you wouldn't have to ask."

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel had finished her laundry and the dishes while Finn watched television. He offered to help her clean up from dinner, but she rejected his offer. Once the kitchen was cleaned, Rachel joined him in the living room.

Minutes later, she had fallen asleep while leaning on the arm of the couch. Finn smiled at her before getting up to grab a pillow and a blanket from the closet. He set the pillow on the couch before carefully lying her down on it. Then, he covered her with the blanket before shutting off the light. She looked so peaceful while sleeping. He still couldn't believe that she had been through so much. But now, she had him, and he would do whatever it took to keep her safe.

Finn bent down and kissed Rachel on the forehead before going into his bedroom.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: There's the first chapter! But I'm sorry to say that this isn't the last that little Miss Rachel Berry is going to struggle through. Her and Finn have a bumpy ride ahead of them. And will their relationship blossom or will it stay platonic? Please keep reading to find out! And reviews are always welcome :)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's chapter two, guys! I really hope you like the story so far. I still don't own Glee or any of the characters.

Helping the Hopeless: Chapter Two

"Why do you want dresses and skirts, Rach? It's the middle of winter," Finn said, rolling his eyes.

"I like dresses and skirts," Rachel said simply, holding up a skirt in the middle of the secondhand store. "I picked out tights in case it's cold anyway."

"Grab some pants, too," he said.

"Since you're buying it, I will pick out some pants as well," she said, making Finn smile.

They had been shopping for a while already. They already went to another store and bought Rachel's undergarments and other necessities and now they were shopping for clothes. She found a winter coat already for ten dollars, which she was pretty excited about. Finn just couldn't wait to get back to the apartment. While Rachel was picking out underwear and stuff at the other store, he snuck away for a few minutes and grabbed a surprise for her. Her birthday was in two days and he wanted to give it to her early.

Half an hour later, Rachel picked out enough clothes for the time being. Finn did something earlier this morning that he was going to surprise her with, too. Rachel was already wearing her winter coat when they walked back to his apartment laden with bags.

Rachel and Finn set the bags down in the living room.

"I want to thank you again for everything you bought me," Rachel said with a smile.

"It's no big deal," Finn said for the tenth time that day.

"Well, it's a big deal to me," she said, looking through the bags. Finn was still holding a bag in his hand with her gift inside. "So, where are we going to put all of this stuff?" she asked.

"I already have it all planned out, actually," Finn said with a smile. He grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her toward the bedroom. She looked confused, but followed. He went to his closet and pulled the left door open; the left side was completely empty except for some hangers.

"Finn…" Rachel said softly.

"Again, it was no big deal. I didn't have much in here and I just pushed my stuff to the other side," he said. He then walked over to the dresser and pulled the top drawer open. "I cleaned out one of these for you, too."

He turned back toward Rachel and was surprised to see her standing right behind him. Before he could react, she pulled him in for a hug. He hugged her back tightly, enjoying the feeling. She let go of him and looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"We're friends, right Finn?" she asked, wiping the tears away.

"Definitely," he said with a smile.

"Well, you're the only friend I have, so that automatically makes you my best friend," Rachel said with a smile.

"And my ex-best friend got my ex-girlfriend pregnant, so you're my best friend, too," he said, keeping the smile on his face. Rachel squealed before pulling him in for another hug.

"Let's get me moved in!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands together.

By the time all of Rachel's things were put away, she started on dinner. Finn decided to give her the gift on her birthday instead of today, so that she would have something to open. He had to work on Monday, but he was planning on grabbing a cake on the way home from work.

Finn stood in the kitchen, watching Rachel make the baked chicken and rice.

"You know what I want?" Finn asked.

"What?" Rachel asked, stirring the rice.

"I'm craving cake," he said nonchalantly.

"Cake's good," Rachel agreed. "Do you want me to bake one?"

"It's fine. I don't think I have eggs or anything. I would need to get some vanilla cake mix, too. I don't have any," he said. "What's your favorite kind?" He was hoping to figure out what kind of cake to get Rachel without making it obvious.

"Hmmm… Probably strawberry. I usually put strawberry icing on it, too with some real strawberries. It might sound gross, but it's actually delicious," she said, smiling.

"You'll have to make it for me some time," Finn said.

"I will," Rachel promised. Finn smiled, glad that she didn't catch on to what he was doing.

-glee-glee-glee-

By Sunday, they already had a little system set up. Finn would get his showers in the morning and Rachel would get hers at night. Finn was surprised that she was able to keep the place clean all the time. If he ate a sandwich for lunch and used a plate, she would be in the kitchen minutes later washing the plate. They were extremely comfortable around each other for only having known one another for two days. When they weren't watching television or a movie, they were talking about anything and everything.

Finn learned that Rachel was quite the talker. When she was excited about something, she talked faster than Finn could keep up with. But he was always interested in hearing what she had to say. The way her eyes sparkled when she was talking about performing made Finn smile.

"I'll probably never be on Broadway though," Rachel said with a frown. They were sitting on the couch after dinner; Rachel had just finished the dishes and started talking with Finn about Broadway again.

"Why not?" Finn asked.

"Jesse practically tarnished my name," Rachel said exasperatedly. "I got kicked out of college, Finn. They'll see that on my resume. They can call the school and the school will tell them why I got kicked out. No one will hire someone who supposedly tries to sleep with people to get what they want," she said sadly.

Finn took a deep breath. He really _hated_ this Jesse dude for taking everything away from Rachel. He could totally go to the school and find Jesse to kick his ass, but that wouldn't really solve anything. "I'm gonna make you a promise, Rach," Finn said. Rachel looked at him curiously. "No matter what I have to do, I will help you get on Broadway."

Rachel smiled. "That's very sweet, but you haven't even heard me sing yet! What if I'm one of those people on _American Idol_ that swears that they have talent, but then they open their mouths and they're terrible?"

"Sing for me then," Finn said.

"Right now?" she asked.

"Right now," he said. Rachel jumped up excitedly.

"I have to run through my scales first. It's very irresponsible to sing without warming up," Rachel said.

"Okay," Finn said. He sat up, excited to finally hear Rachel sing.

Then, she started on her scales.

And Finn was floored.

When she announced that she had sufficiently warmed up, Finn was practically speechless.

"That was incredible," he said.

"But I haven't even sang anything yet," Rachel said, giggling.

"Still… Wow," Finn said.

"Okay. Hold onto your hat. I'm about to sing one of the most difficult songs I've ever sung," she said with a smile. Finn simply nodded in anticipation.

_Oh my man, I love him so_

_He'll never know_

_All my life is just despair_

_But I don't care _

_When he takes me in his arms_

_The world is bright, alright _

_What's the difference if I say_

_I'll go away_

_When I know I'll come back _

_On my knees someday _

_For whatever my man is, _

_I am his _

_Forevermore_

_Oh, my man I love him so_

_He'll never know _

_All my life is just despair_

_But I don't care _

_When he takes me in his arms _

_The world is bright, alright_

_What's the difference if I say _

_I'll go away _

_When I know I'll come back _

_On my knees someday_

_For whatever my man is, _

_I am his _

_Forevermore! _

Rachel finished the song with tears in her eyes. She couldn't sing that Barbra song without losing it every single time. She was a little nervous as Finn sat there, saying nothing. She was pretty sure that she hit every note perfectly. She had perfect pitch, after all.

"So… what did you think?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"You're gonna be on Broadway," he said firmly. Rachel squealed before jumping on the couch and planting a kiss on his lips. Finn was taken completely by surprise, but he wasn't complaining in the slightest. After realizing what she was doing, Rachel froze and backed away.

"I'm sorry. That was highly inappropriate of me," she said, scooting further and further away from Finn on the couch.

"Don't… don't be sorry," Finn said, still in a daze.

"No. I really shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry," she said before getting up off the couch. He heard her walk into the bathroom and close the door behind her. Minutes later, he heard the shower turn on.

"Wow…" was all Finn could say as his lips still tingled from the kiss.

In the bathroom, Rachel had her fingers to her lips. She could still feel Finn's lips on hers. Part of her wanted to run out there and kiss him again. The more rational part of her said that she was pregnant and that no man would want to start a relationship with her.

She tried to move the kiss from her mind as she showered, but it was proving to be difficult.

Finn was a little upset that Rachel seemed to be ignoring him when she left the bathroom. He was sitting in the living room, in the same spot as before, but she went in the kitchen. It was already spotless in there, so he knew that she was ignoring him.

After she stayed in there for ten minutes, Finn decided to go talk to her. He got up off the couch with a huff and walked into the kitchen. She was sitting at the breakfast nook, and he could see tears in her eyes.

"Rach? Are you okay?" he asked sympathetically.

"What?" she asked, sitting up quickly. "Yeah. I'm fine," she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, taking the seat next to her.

"Just thinking about stuff," she said, looking down at the table.

"Look, if this is about before… we can just forget it happened if you want," Finn said. He totally didn't want to forget the kiss, but he didn't want Rachel to stress out about it.

"I was just worried that it would ruin everything," she said quietly.

"Nothing's ruined," Finn said firmly. "I promise." Rachel looked up at him and could see that he really meant it. "I'm still your best friend and you're mine. Everything's fine."

Rachel smiled widely at him. "That's good to hear," she said. "Now, the baby and I need to get some sleep if I'm going to get my social security card and a new ID tomorrow." She got up off the seat and hugged Finn. "Goodnight," she said into his ear.

"Night, Rach," Finn said, holding onto her tightly. She let go of him and he placed his hand on her stomach. "Night, baby." Rachel smiled widely. Finn dropped his hand and she made her way to the living room.

Finn sat in the kitchen area for a few minutes, thinking. The last time he'd said goodnight to a baby was when Quinn was pregnant and he thought the kid was his. Having another pregnant girl around was definitely difficult, but he wouldn't hold that against Rachel. Plus, this situation was totally different. Rachel wasn't trying to pawn the kid off on someone who wasn't the father. And it was more enjoyable to hang around with Rachel than Quinn. Being with Rachel made him happy. She could tell him anything and he could tell her anything and they wouldn't judge one another. They supported each other's hopes and dreams. After only two full days, he felt closer to Rachel than he ever felt to Quinn.

Finn wasn't quite sure what these feelings meant; all he knew was that he didn't want Rachel leaving anytime soon.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn woke up before Rachel did the next morning. He put her first birthday present on the coffee table by the couch. It was a key to the apartment. He had spent twenty minutes writing a letter to her last night that he put under the key. He got ready for work quickly and left the apartment while Rachel was still sleeping.

Half an hour after he left for work, Rachel woke up. She looked over at the television's cable box and was glad to see that it was only 7:45. The social security office didn't open until 9:00, so she had some time to get ready. A key on the coffee table caught her attention. She saw a piece of paper under it with "To Rachel" written on the outside. She eagerly opened the letter and started to read.

_Happy Birthday! I would totally take you out for drinks since you're officially 21, but you're pregnant, so that's not really allowed. I promise that after you have the baby, I'm buying you your first round. I made a copy of the apartment key to give to you. This is your place now, too, so you kind of needed one. When you get your ID, you can list the apartment as your address and everything. I know you've been through a lot, but I'm kind of glad you went through all of it. If you hadn't, I probably never would have met you and I'd be best friend-less. I almost forgot that there's ten bucks on top of the dresser for you to buy your ID. Don't thank me; you need one. Anyway, I'll see you after work. I hope you have a great birthday. _

_- Finn_

Rachel smiled at the letter that he had written her. It was totally Finn – sweet and silly at the same time. The last part of the letter really stuck out to her. He said that he never would have met her if she hadn't gone through everything. And he was right. Life led her right to Finn. And that was a pretty great thing.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel had to wait in line at the social security office for more than two hours, so her birthday wasn't the best so far. She finally got the printout of her social security number and started walking to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles where she would renew her license.

After another hour of filling out paperwork and a couple of stops to the bathroom, Rachel walked out of the building with a brand new ID in her hand. The lady at the desk even wished her a happy birthday after reading the paperwork.

She was glad that she finally finished something on her to-do list. New ID: Check. Now, she just had to find a job. Rachel bundled up her coat around her and literally hit the pavement.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel didn't walk back into the apartment until 5 o'clock – the same time that Finn got off work. She was tired and aggravated; she spent literally the entire day going from restaurant to restaurant looking for a job. Either they weren't hiring, or they didn't want to hire someone that would be leaving in a couple months for maternity leave. Rachel wanted to call her fathers and see if that was discrimination, but then she remembered that they didn't want anything to do with her anymore.

She even stopped by a music store and ran into an old high school friend that owned the place. She even managed to make a deal with him to get Finn's Christmas present. At least she got something accomplished while walking around the city all day.

She was pretty hungry after spending all day walking around, so she quickly made some sandwiches that would hold her over until dinnertime. She couldn't wait until Finn got home so that she could start enjoying her birthday. She decided to watch some television while waiting for him. She took her plate of sandwiches over to the couch and set them on the table. Then she took off her shoes and stretched her sore feet before digging in.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel's birthday cake looked perfect as he picked it up from the bakery that was right around the corner from his apartment. He had called it in yesterday morning. Sure, he had to pay a little extra for them to make it in time, but it was Rachel's _birthday_, so it was worth it.

He was tempted to open the box and start eating it while walking down the street, but he knew Rachel wouldn't be too happy if he did that.

He quickly stopped by a store on the corner of his street and grabbed a lighter and some candles for the cake. Then, with a smile of anticipation on his face, he made his way to the apartment.

"Rach, I'm home," he called while walking through the door.

"Hi, Finn," she yelled back.

"Do me a favor and stay in there until I tell you to come in, okay?" he asked her.

"What are you up to?" Rachel asked curiously.

"Just stay in there," he said exasperatedly.

"Fine," he heard Rachel say.

Finn opened the box and carefully pulled the cake out. He then took off his coat and hung it on the back of one of the chairs before putting the candles on the cake. He lit the candles carefully, not wanting to start a fire in the middle of the kitchen.

"Come on in, Rach," he yelled. Her heard Rachel walk toward the kitchen. Finn looked up just as she came into view. She spotted the cake on the counter and broke out into a smile.

"Finn… this is so sweet," she said, walking up to the counter. He then broke out into the "Happy Birthday" song, with his cheeks flaming in embarrassment.

When he was finished, Rachel closed her eyes tightly before blowing out the candles and looking up at Finn with a smile.

"So this is why you started talking about cake the other night," she said with a smile.

"Totally," he said before going in the cabinet to grab some plates.

"You're very sneaky, Mr. Hudson. I didn't see this coming at all."

"That's why it's called a surprise," Finn replied with a smirk.

They both dug into the strawberry cake with strawberry icing and strawberries on top. Finn officially changed his favorite flavor of cake to strawberry after tasting it.

"Now it's present time," Finn said after they had eaten half the cake between the two of them.

"You've done enough already," Rachel said with a smile.

"Oh, well," Finn said shrugging. "You're getting more, so get over it."

Rachel's jaw dropped in false shock before she started laughing at Finn. He walked out of the room and was back moments later with a bag in his hands.

"I didn't really have any wrapping paper. I hope that's okay," he said quietly.

"This is perfect, Finn," she said, grabbing the bag from his hand. She untied the handles and reached inside. She grabbed the soft object and pulled it out.

It was a baby blanket.

"I got green 'cause we don't know what the baby is yet. And the blanket has little lions and giraffes stitched in the corner. I picked it out 'cause I thought it was awesome looking. And it's soft. I kinda wish they had a soft blanket like that for someone my size," he said, making Rachel giggle through the tears that were clouding her vision.

"This is the best present I've ever gotten," she said, looking down at the blanket in her hands.

"Really?" he asked, sounding doubtful. She put her hand on his and looked at him in the eyes. "Really," she said firmly. "Thank you so much."

"No problem," he said with a wide smile. "Just don't forget to remember that I was the first one to buy the baby something," he said jokingly.

Rachel ran her fingers over the tiny lions and giraffe. "I don't think I could ever forget this," she said quietly.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Isn't that, like, discrimination or something to not hire a pregnant lady 'cause she's pregnant?" Finn asked after he made Rachel dinner for her birthday. He wasn't the best chef in the world, but Rachel said she enjoyed her grilled cheese sandwiches.

"That's what I thought," Rachel said. "I was going to call my dads and ask, but I can't."

Finn sat there in thought for a moment. "Maybe you should try and see them," he said. "They could have cooled down by now. And maybe they'll want to meet their grandkid someday, you know."

"I don't know, Finn. You should have heard how disappointed they were the last time I talked to them," Rachel said uneasily.

"Well, it's like I said, things might have changed. They could want to talk to you, but they don't have your number or anything. You never know," he said, shrugging. "Plus, it's almost Christmas. It could be a great present to see you again."

"I'm Jewish," Rachel said with a smile.

"Well…" Finn said. "Instead of saying 'Merry Christmas,' you could say 'Happy Holidays' when you talk to them."

"I guess you're right," Rachel said, laughing. "Should I call them now?"

"I don't see why not," Finn said. He reached over to the side table next to him and grabbed the cordless home phone, handing it to Rachel.

"Thanks," she said. Then, she took a deep breath before dialing their number. Her face turned into a look of confusion when the operator said the number was no longer in service.

"What?" Finn asked when she hung up the phone.

"The number's disconnected. That's weird. I just talked to them a month and a half ago. And the number's been the same my whole life," she said, feeling a little upset. "Do you think they changed it so I couldn't contact them?"

"Maybe it has nothing to do with you at all," Finn said positively. "They could have forgotten to pay the bill or maybe they had a psycho stalker and had to change the number."

"I highly doubt the second one," she said with a smile.

Finn shrugged. "You never know," he said.

"Maybe I can stop by the house on Christmas Eve," Rachel said. "Even though we're Jewish, we always had a special dinner then…"

"Sounds like a good idea," Finn said with a smile.

"Do you have plans with your family?" Rachel asked.

"Not this year," he said. "Kurt called me at work today and told me that he got my mom and Burt tickets for a Christmas cruise… Whatever the hell that is," he chuckled. "And Kurt's meeting his boyfriend's family on Christmas."

"Looks like it's just the two of us," Rachel said. "I'll be sure to make a huge Christmas meal!" She smiled.

"We'll go to the grocery store tomorrow, then," Finn said with a smile.

"I've already been working on your Christmas present, you know," she said with a smile.

Finn looked at her in confusion. "How?"

"I'm not telling you," she said with a smile. "Let's just say that I made a pit stop today and met with an old acquaintance of mine. They helped me out a lot."

"Well I already know what I'm getting you. And I'm not telling," he said with a smile.

"I can be patient," Rachel said with a smile.

"Can I just have a little hint?" he asked.

"Nope," Rachel said with a smile. She got up off the couch and went into the kitchen. Moments later, Finn heard her groan.

"What?" he yelled in her direction.

She walked into the living room with a pout. "We're out of ice cream. Baby loves ice cream," she said, placing a hand on her stomach.

"I can go get some," Finn said.

Rachel's pout turned into a smile. "It's fine, Finn. We can just get some tomorrow," she said.

"No, I'll go. Now I want some, too," he said with a smirk. "Your favorite's vanilla, right?" he asked, getting up off the couch.

"Great memory," Rachel said with a smile. Finn smiled back at her before walking in the kitchen and grabbing his coat off the chair. Rachel followed him.

"This is my first late night craving run," he said with a smile.

"That it is," Rachel said with a giggle.

"Does baby want anything else?" Finn asked. Rachel thought for a moment.

"We're out of peanut butter," she said. "Would you mind getting some?"

"I'll be back soon," Finn said with a smile. Rachel smiled at him as he walked out of the door.

-glee-glee-glee-

"That was so good," Rachel said, setting her empty bowl on the coffee table.

"I can't believe you put peanut butter in your ice cream," Finn said with a disgusted look on his face.

"I can't believe you didn't try it. It was delicious," she said with a smile.

"I'm happy with my brownie chunk ice cream," he replied. Rachel put her hand on her stomach and rubbed it.

"So, when are we going to know if the baby's a boy or a girl?" Finn asked.

"They should be able to tell when I'm around five months or so. I should make an appointment for after New Year's," she said, looking down at her stomach. "I'll have to find a new doctor though. The last one was quite expensive. I still haven't paid off the bill."

"You can just go to the same one. I'll take care of it," Finn said.

"Finn, do you have any idea how expensive an OB-GYN is?" she asked.

"How would I know? I have guy's parts," he said with a smile. Rachel smiled.

"I know that, but it's not cheap," she explained. "And it'll probably cost thousands of dollars when I have the baby. That's why I was hoping to find a job."

"Well, I can help out until now. You can pay me back if you want," Finn said.

"I really don't want to take all of your money," Rachel said.

"If I told you how much I make, you'd understand. And my mom set up a bank account for me when I was born. I haven't even touched the money in there yet. Don't worry about it," Finn said, placing a hand on her hand that was still on her stomach.

"I _will_ pay you back, Finn," Rachel said firmly. "With interest."

"If that's what you want to do, okay," he said with a smile. "Just call and make an appointment tomorrow."

"Fine," Rachel said. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Just make sure you get a picture of the baby. I want to see him or her," Finn said with a smirk.

"I will," Rachel said with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: In the next chapter, we'll see Finn and Rachel celebrate Christmas together. But before we get there, Rachel suffers another setback. Please keep reading :)


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I still don't own anything.

Helping the Helpless: Chapter Three

The next morning, after Finn had already left for work, Rachel called her OB-GYN and scheduled an appointment for January 4th. It was a Wednesday afternoon, so Rachel knew that Finn couldn't come with her. She knew it wasn't his baby, but it wasn't the same seeing the baby by yourself. The first time she got an ultrasound, she was alone, wishing that Jesse would have been there to celebrate with her. But then he turned her and their baby down. And Rachel couldn't really ask Finn to go; she could tell that he was still upset over the whole situation with Quinn and something like that might bring back sad memories that he would have to deal with.

So, Rachel would go alone.

After getting dressed for the day, in a cute blue dress with black leggings, she stopped by the music store to give her old high school friend Sam his first voice lesson. She just happened to run into him when looking for a job yesterday. He told her that they weren't hiring, but then they got to talking. Rachel really wanted to get Finn something for Christmas that had to do with music since he said he loved it so much. Sam said that he had a certain instrument that they had been trying to sell for a couple of years now. It was in the back storage room and he was more than willing to trade it for some voice lessons.

Sam and Rachel were both in the Glee club together in high school. Sam already has a great voice, but he wanted Rachel to help him do better; he was a struggling musician trying to make it big. Rachel promised to meet him every day for lessons in exchange for Finn's gift. He was surprised when Rachel told him that she was pregnant. Since they were quite close in high school, she had no problem explaining to him everything that had happened since graduation.

And she was happy to learn that he was still dating another one of Rachel's old friends, Mercedes. She was going to school in Pennsylvania, so they were able to see one another rather often. Sam was even thinking about proposing to her for Christmas, a plan that Rachel wholeheartedly agreed with.

After gossiping and singing for a good three hours, Rachel decided to head back to the apartment.

"I'll see you the same time tomorrow, Sam," Rachel said with a smile.

"Awesome," he replied. "Be sure to call if Finn's at work and you need something."

"I will, thanks," she said before walking out of the store.

It was a cold December day, but it was quite sunny outside. Rachel loved walking the streets of New York during the holiday season. There were lights everywhere and you could even hear Christmas music as you walked by the dozens of stores on each street. And everyone you passed in the street seemed happier than usual; this happiness was contagious.

Until she saw Jesse St. James. He was walking into a coffee shop with a gorgeous blonde on his arm. Rachel wondered if she was a student of his. Then, she started crying. Her great mood led to one of sadness as she made her way back to the apartment. On the way back, the sun disappeared behind the clouds.

-glee-glee-glee-

With tears streaming down her face, Rachel locked the front door and took her winter coat off, putting on the back of one of the chairs in the kitchen. The apartment was already spotless, so she figured that she had the rest of the afternoon to just sit around and sulk.

She made a trip to the bathroom for the fifth time that day; the baby seemed to be lying on her bladder. Then, on her way back out to the living room, Rachel looked at Finn's bed. It looked so warm and inviting. She knew that he wouldn't mind if she just laid there for a little while. The couch was pretty comfortable, but snuggling under the covers of a big bed seemed better.

She took her shoes off before pulling the comforter back and climbing into the bed. She lay on her side and took a deep breath. The pillow smelled just like Finn. And she was quickly comforted. She now felt safe, like nothing could ever hurt her and her baby. But part of her was still upset.

Minutes later, after the tears stopped, Rachel fell asleep.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn walked into the apartment, expecting to hear the television on or music playing. He was a little uneasy when he didn't hear anything. Then, he spotted Rachel's coat on the chair and relaxed a little. He figured she must be taking a nap. He didn't know Rachel handled pregnancy, but he remembered from a high school Sex Ed. class that pregnant women were tired a lot of the time.

He walked into the living room, but the couch was Rachel-less. He looked around in confusion before deciding to walk in his room.

He smiled when he saw Rachel sleeping soundly in his bed. She looked so tiny in the king size bed that it made him laugh to himself. His laugh must have been louder than he thought because Rachel rolled toward him and looked at him with bleary eyes.

"Finn?" she said, sitting up.

"I didn't mean to wake you up," he said quickly.

"Don't worry. I've already been out for a couple of hours," she said. Finn sat at the bottom of the bed, facing Rachel.

"Not that I mind, but what are you doing in my bed?" Finn asked.

"Oh. I was a little upset earlier and your bed just looked so warm and comfy that I couldn't pass it up," she said. She started running her fingers through her hair, fully expecting to have terrible bed head.

"Did something happen?" he asked, sounding a little anxious.

"It's nothing…" she said. Finn looked at her doubtfully. "I just… I saw Jesse earlier," she said quietly.

"Did he say anything to you?" Finn asked in a serious tone.

"No," Rachel said quickly. "I don't even think he saw me. He was with another girl."

"Oh," Finn said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said with a tight smile.

"I thought you didn't want to be with him anymore though," Finn said. He was hoping that Rachel was starting to get over Jesse. He was pretty sure that he was starting to develop feelings for this girl. Thinking she was jealous of his budding relationship made Finn just a little jealous, too.

"I don't want to be with him. Not at all," she said. "I just feel bad for the baby." She put her hands on her stomach, like she was cradling it. "I know how it feels for your parents to want nothing to do with you. I never wanted my children to ever feel that way, but Jesse wants nothing to do with the baby." Finn watched as tears filled her eyes.

Finn took off his shoes before climbing in the bed next to her. He pulled the covers up over himself before gently grabbing Rachel's arm and pulling her into his chest. She cried quietly as he held her.

"Rach, I_ know_ this baby's not mine, but I want to be there for the little guy or girl. We honestly haven't known each other that long, but I already care about the both of you. You guys don't really have anyone else and I'm more than willing to be there for the both of you. You can have the baby call me Uncle Finn or whatever you want. Just know that your baby will be loved by more than just you. This baby's part of you, so he or she deserves to have people there for them, just like you do. And I will be. If you let me," he said. He finished his speech, wondering how sappy he sounded. If Kurt were here, he would probably ask Finn when he started watching soap operas.

Rachel looked up at Finn with tears in her eyes.

"You don't know how much that means to me," she said with a watery smile.

"Just know that since I'm Uncle Finn now, I get to spoil this kid rotten," Finn said with a smirk.

"It also means that you're helping out with changing the diapers and babysitting," Rachel said with a laugh.

"We really don't have to take it that far," Finn said jokingly.

-glee-glee-glee-

CHRISTMAS EVE

It was the morning before Christmas and Rachel was both nervous and excited. She was excited because Sam was on his way with Finn's present. And she was nervous because she was going to see her fathers after Sam leaves.

She tidied up the already clean apartment while doing the laundry. She had just finished folding the last of Finn's clothes when she heard a knock on the door.

She smoothed her festive green dress and red tights before going to open the door.

Sam was standing there with a smile on his face and a huge drum in front of him.

"Merry Christmas Eve!" he said happily.

"Hey, Sam," she said, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

"So, where do you want this?" he asked.

"Well, there's a bookcase that I can move to another wall and then we should have plenty of room for it," she said. "I already took everything out of the bookcase so that it wouldn't be too heavy."

Sam carried the huge drum in. "I'll go get the rest of this. Just wait here," Sam said.

"But I can help," Rachel said.

"It's pretty heavy and you're pregnant. No," Sam said firmly.

"Fine," Rachel huffed.

Fifteen minutes later, all of the pieces were in the apartment.

"How exactly are you going to hide a drum set?" Sam asked.

"Well, I have a large sheet. I'm just going to have to trust that he won't peek," Rachel said. "It's either that or make you skip Christmas with Mercedes and have you bring it over tomorrow."

"I see your point," Sam said. "So, where do you want to move the bookcase?"

Once the bookcase was moved, Rachel put the things back on the shelves while Sam put the drums together.

"You brought drumsticks, right?" Rachel asked once the bookcase was put back together.

"I'm not a total idiot," Sam said with a smirk. He reached into his back pocket and grabbed out two drumsticks.

"Thanks, Sam. You're amazing," she said with a smile.

Sam laughed. "Anyway, are you sure your neighbors won't complain?"

"Well, we live on the top floor, which is a plus. And everyone else in this building is older and slightly hard of hearing. And the walls aren't paper thin, so I think we're good to go," Rachel explained. "I thought this through thoroughly."

"I can see that," Sam said with another laugh. "Are you still seeing your dads today?" he asked a moment later.

"That's the plan," she said, sounding a little nervous.

"Do they still live in the same place?"

"They would never move. They love that house," she said with a warm smile.

"Well I'll give you a ride then. That's across town from here," Sam said.

"Thank you, Sam," Rachel said.

The drums were all ready to go. Rachel had already cleaned them yesterday at the music store, so they were all pretty and shiny. And they were a nice blue color, which Rachel knew was Finn's favorite. Sam helped her throw the sheet over them.

"What if Finn gets back before you?" he asked.

"He didn't start his shopping until today. I'll definitely be back before he's finished," Rachel said confidently.

"So he's a procrastinator?" Sam asked.

"You have no idea," Rachel said with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

"What do I do now?" Rachel asked from Sam's passenger seat.

"Well, I suggest you get out of the car and knock on the door, but what do I know?" he said jokingly. Rachel smiled and playfully shoved him. "I'll wait here until you're inside."

"Thanks, Sam," she said for the fifth time that day. She smiled at him bravely before opening the door and climbing out of Sam's van. As she walked up the steps to her fathers' home, she took deep, calming breaths. "Here goes nothing, baby," she whispered to her stomach.

She reached up and knocked on the door, still taking deep breaths.

She waited. And waited. And waited.

No one answered the door.

Rachel was confused. Her fathers always stayed in the city for the holidays. She decided to ask the neighbor if her fathers went away on vacation or something.

She knocked on the neighbors door and waited a few minutes. She smiled when the door was opened and she saw Mrs. Dennis. The woman looked the same as always. Her long, silver hair was done up in a ballerina bun and she was wearing one of her long, floral dresses.

"Mrs. Dennis! Do you remember me?" Rachel asked with a smile.

"How could I forget you, Rachel?" the woman said sweetly. "My husband misses that banana bread of yours."

"I'll be sure to make him some soon," Rachel said with a smile.

"That's so sweet of you, dear," Mrs. Dennis said. "May I ask what brings you back to the old neighborhood?"

"Well, I was looking for my dads. It's Christmas Eve after all and I wanted to drop by and surprise them. Did they decide to take a vacation this year or something?" Rachel asked.

Mrs. Dennis's face fell. "No one told you?" she asked.

"Told me what?" Rachel asked, feeling confused.

"Honey, your fathers passed away about a month ago. It was a car accident," she said, reaching out to place a hand on Rachel's arm.

"That can't be true," Rachel said, feeling stunned.

"I went to the funeral, sweetheart," Mrs. Dennis said with a frown. "I'm so sorry."

Rachel stood there for a few moments trying to gather her thoughts. "Would you like to come in?" Mrs. Dennis asked.

"No thank you," Rachel said in a small voice. "I really should be going." Mrs. Dennis nodded in understanding. "I'll come by sometime soon with that banana bread. Happy Holidays."

"The same to you, dear," Mrs. Dennis said. Rachel smiled tightly before turning and going back down the stairs.

She climbed into Sam's car quickly and buckled her seatbelt. "What's going on?" Sam said, noticing that something was wrong.

"Can you just take me home please?" Rachel asked in a monotone voice. Sam wanted to know what happened, but he just nodded before putting the car into drive and pulling out of his spot.

The drive back to the apartment was eerily silent. "Do you want to talk about it?" Sam asked once he was parked.

Rachel sat there for a few moments. "They died a month ago," she said quietly.

Sam blinked a few times, trying to absorb the news. "Rachel, I'm so sorry," he said just as quietly.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "I'll be fine. I always am."

"Do you want me to come in? We can talk," he said.

"It's fine, Sam," Rachel said, smiling a little. "Go spend Christmas Eve with Mercedes. I'm sure she'll love the ring you picked out. And if she's still as crazy about you as she was in high school, I'm positive she'll say yes."

Sam nodded with a smile. "If you need anything, you have my number," he said.

Rachel unbuckled her seatbelt and opened the door.

"Merry Christmas, Sam," she said.

"Happy Holidays," Sam replied. She then climbed out and closed the door before going into the apartment building.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn carried the bags up the stairs. All of the gifts were already wrapped, so he didn't have to worry about Rachel peeking in the bags or anything. He set down the bags in his right hand so that he could pull his keys out of his pocket. Once the door was opened, he picked the bags back up and walked inside, kicking the door shut behind him.

"I'm home, Rach," he said, walking into the living room. She was sitting on the couch with her knees drawn up to her chest in pajama pants and a tank top.

"Hi, Finn," she said with a small smile. "Did you get everything you need?"

"Yeah. Let me put this stuff down and I'll tell you what I got everyone," Finn said happily.

"Okay," Rachel said with another small smile.

He set the bags in his room and took his coat off, throwing it on the end of his bed. He shimmied out of his shoes before walking back in the living room. He sat next to Rachel and started talking excitedly.

"Alright. So, Kurt dropped off all of our old home videos to me at work and I got them put on DVD for my mom. And I got her a new photo album. Kurt told me that she needed a new one. He's getting her a gift certificate to the spa and some other stuff like that. Oh, and I got her a sweater, too. I had to call Kurt and ask what size she was, but I picked it out," he said with a smile. Rachel couldn't help but smile in return.

"Burt's usually hard to shop for, so me and Kurt chipped in and are getting him a new TV. It's not the newest model or anything, but it's a flat screen, and he's been wanting one. And I got Kurt a pair of pants that Blaine said he wanted. I got him this man purse thing, too. Blaine told me that he needed a new one of those.

"And I don't really know Blaine _that_ well, but I do know that he loves Harry Potter, so I got him this box set of all the Blu-Rays of the movies. Kurt told me he's getting him a Blu-Ray player, so everything worked out," he said.

Rachel smiled at him. "I'm sure they'll love everything. Those gifts are very thoughtful, Finn," Rachel said.

"I guess. I used to just get them gift cards to their favorite stores or something, but Kurt told me that was too impersonal," Finn said, shrugging.

"I always appreciate a good gift card," Rachel said with a smile.

"I like them, too, but I took Kurt's advice anyway," Finn said. "So, how'd things go with your dads?"

Rachel froze for a moment. She had _really _hoped he wouldn't ask about it. She still hadn't even really processed the news. But she did cry for two hours after Sam dropped her off.

"Not so great," she said in a quiet voice.

"What happened?" Finn asked, scooting closer to her.

"I learned from my old neighbor that they… died. A month ago," she said in a near whisper.

"What?" Finn asked, sounding shocked.

"They died a month ago and no one told me about it," her voice was getting more and more firm. "I'm their damn _daughter _and no one told me my dads died!" She jumped off the couch and started pacing around the living room.

"But weren't you in their will or something? Someone _has_ to tell you," Finn said. He watched Rachel pace back and forth.

"When we fought after graduation, I told them that I didn't want anything from them ever again. They wrote me out of their will," she said icily.

"Rach…" Finn said, unsure what to say.

"I just don't understand! Yes, they made me mad and yes they hurt me, but they're still my dads and NO ONE TOLD ME! How could they just cut me out of their life like that? They're supposed to love me unconditionally! I tried to visit them today and fix things only to find out that they're dead!" Rachel stopped pacing and stared at Finn. "They died thinking I hate them. And they died hating me," she said in a quiet voice.

"I'm sure they didn't hate you, Rach. And they know you didn't hate them, either," Finn said comfortingly.

"You don't know that!" she yelled. Angry tears were starting to fill her eyes. "Now my baby will never know them!"

Finn stood up and walked up to Rachel. He put his arms on her shoulders and looked at her seriously.

"You need to calm down," he said. Rachel's chest was heaving. "All this stress isn't good for the baby." Rachel dropped her head into her hands.

"You're right," he heard her say. "I'm sorry I shouted at you."

"Don't worry about it. I'd be freaked out if you didn't," he said. He then pulled Rachel in for a hug.

"Can I sleep in your bed tonight? I don't want to be alone," Rachel asked quietly.

"Sure," Finn said.

-glee-glee-glee-

After a quiet dinner, Finn and Rachel sat on the couch. She was being fairly quiet, but Finn understood why. It's kind of hard to be okay after finding out that your parents were dead. Finn turned on something that he knew Rachel liked, but she still just sat there, lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey, Rach," Finn said, trying to get her attention. When she didn't answer after a few moments, he poked her.

"Yeah?" she said, turning to face him.

"I forgot to ask about the thing under the blanket over there," he said, pointing to the corner of the room.

Finn was glad to see her smile. "It's a surprise. You're not allowed to look until in the morning," she said. "Think you can handle waiting that long?"

"I think I can manage," Finn said. He didn't mean it, though. He_ really_ wanted to know what was under the blanket. But another part of him didn't want to ruin Rachel's surprise by peeking. So, he worked hard on not thinking about the blanket.

Rachel headed to bed before he did, explaining that she had to get up early to start cooking the food. She changed into pajamas and got into Finn's bed, facing the closet. She was a little nervous about sleeping in the same bed as Finn. She knew that she was starting to feel something for him, but she didn't want to make things awkward between them if he didn't reciprocate the feelings. And she was pretty positive that these feelings she's having are more than just gratefulness.

Finn was also nervous about sharing a bed with Rachel. He just didn't want to do the wrong thing and make her uncomfortable around him. He would be happy to get into bed with her and just _hold_ her, but he wasn't sure if that's what she wanted. He knew that Rachel was still going through a lot and he didn't want her to feel like she had to repay him for anything. So, he would just play it cool until he knew she was interested, too.

By the time he went to bed, Rachel was sound asleep. He put his pajamas on in the bathroom before climbing in bed. Rachel was facing away from him, toward the closet. Finn just lied on his back and tried not to think about the fact that he had a gorgeous girl in his bed.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn woke up in the middle of the night. He smiled widely when he realized that Rachel was lying on his chest and his arm was around her. He squeezed her tightly before drifting back off to sleep.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel woke up early the next morning after going to bed so early last night. She was surprised to see that she and Finn were quite close to one another. She was lying on his chest and he had his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. She didn't even remember rolling toward him last night!

She gently extracted herself from his grasp before getting out of the bed carefully, not wanting to wake him up. She glanced at the alarm clock and saw that it was 7:00. Finn was usually getting ready for work right about now, but he had until the Monday after New Year's off of work. The colleges and high schools that he scouted weren't in session anyway, so there wasn't really a need for him to work.

She quietly grabbed her clothes from the dresser and closet before going in the bathroom to change.

She still had a couple of hours before she had to start making the food, so she quietly took the blanket off of the drum set, being careful to not hit one of the cymbals. When the blanket was off, she looked at the drum set in admiration. She knew he'd love it.

She folded up the blanket and put it back in the closet before turning the TV on and lowering the volume. Then, she anxiously waited for Finn to wake up.

Half an hour later, she heard him moving around in the bedroom.

"Rach?" he called. Rachel got up off the couch and went into the bedroom with a wide smile on her face.

"Merry Christmas, Finn," she said. He was standing by the dresser, rubbing his eyes.

"Merry Christmas," he said sleepily.

"Are you ready for your present?" she asked excitedly.

"Totally," Finn said quickly.

"Come here then," she said, waving him forward. He walked toward her. She pushed him in front of her and reached on her tippy toes to cover his eyes. "No peeking," she said.

"Don't let me walk into a wall," Finn laughed.

"I won't," Rachel giggled.

They walked into the living room awkwardly since Finn was so much taller than Rachel. She faced him toward the corner where his present was.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes," Finn said, sounding like an excited little kid.

Rachel laughed in anticipation before dropping her hands. She then stepped next to Finn to see his reaction.

"No freaking way!" he said in shock. He walked toward the drum set like a zombie. "How in the world did you get this?"

"I have my ways," Rachel said with a smile. He ran a hand over one of the symbols. "Do you like it?" she asked nervously.

"Are you kidding me? I love it!" he said, looking back at her with a wide smile. He then rushed at her and picked her up in a hug, swinging her around. "You're so awesome!" he said excitedly.

"I'm glad you think so," she laughed. He set her down. "Go play me something," she demanded with a smile.

"I'm gonna give you your presents first," he said. Before she could respond, he went into the bedroom and started rooting through the bags.

Rachel sat on the couch, absolutely ecstatic that he liked his present so much. She reminded herself to thank Sam again.

Minutes later, Finn walked into the living room with packages in his hands. He set them on the coffee table in front of Rachel.

"Open them," he said excitedly, sitting down next to her.

Rachel smiled before picking up the present on top of the stack. She opened it like she was a kid again, throwing paper all over the floor.

"Finn! Are these?..." she started to say.

"All of the Barbra Streisand movies I could find," he said happily. Rachel was holding 8 of Barbra's movies in her hands. One of which was one of her favorites of them all, _Funny Girl_.

"You do realize I'm going to make you watch all of them, right?" she said with a smile.

"I was afraid you would say that," Finn groaned, making Rachel laugh. She went for the next present and opened it quickly.

"You got me a _phone_?" she asked in shock.

"Sure did," Finn said with a smile. "This is so you can call me in case of emergencies or something. Or I can text you when I'm bored at work."

"This is already too much," she said, holding the box for the iPhone in her hand.

"I got a deal on it. It doesn't cost much more for you to be on my plan, so don't worry about it. This is in no way a big deal," he said.

Rachel looked at him and smiled.

"You've got two more to go," Finn said.

Rachel smiled before opening the smallest of the presents. She started crying when she saw the little green baby shirt that said "My Mommy Loves Me".

"Finn…" she said, wiping her eyes.

"I looked everywhere, but they didn't have one that said 'Finn Loves Me'." She dropped the shirt on the table before hugging him tightly.

"You're the most amazing man in the whole world," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Finn joked, hugging her back. He tried to sound nonchalant, but Rachel saying that just totally made his day. "You've got one more present to go. It's my favorite."

Rachel let go of Finn and wiped her eyes. She grabbed the last gift and unwrapped it. It was a box, so she pulled the lid off the top.

And laughed. "These are adorable!" she said, picking up the baby Converse sneakers.

"We don't know if the baby's a boy or a girl yet, so I got black ones instead of pink," he explained with a smile.

"They're perfect," she said, placing them back in the box. "These are the most thoughtful gifts I have ever gotten. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Finn said happily.

"Go play me a song now," she said.

"I was hoping you would say that," he said with a smirk before jumping off the couch.

Laughing, Rachel picked up the discarded wrapping paper off the floor and threw it away while Finn adjusted everything to his height. When she was finished, she sat back on the couch, facing Finn.

She was more than impressed when he played the drums for the song "Hot for Teacher." She was completely floored.

When he finished, she gave him a standing ovation, making Finn blush.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn offered to help her make their Christmas lunch/dinner and she gave him the easiest jobs to do so that he wouldn't burn anything.

"You seem to be doing better today," he observed. "About your dads and everything I mean."

"I'm dealing with it," she said calmly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm missing them and thinking about them, but I don't want to be upset during Christmas."

"I don't like seeing you upset," Finn said, stirring the gravy. "But today's been one of the best Christmases I've ever had."

"Same here," Rachel agreed with a smile.

"But you're Jewish. This is your first Christmas," he said in confusion.

"Exactly. So it's automatically the best," she said with a smile.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: Up next: New Year's! Valentine's Day is coming up, too. Will we see Finn and Rachel get closer? Read and find out :)


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I still don't own Glee or anything related to it.

Helping the Hopeless: Chapter Four

New Year's Eve

Finn was invited to a party of one of his colleagues at work, but he turned it down and chose to stay in with Rachel. She tried to convince him to go, but he refused. So, they sat on the couch with their Cosmos in hand; Rachel's was a virgin Cosmo, of course.

"These cups are like the airplane cups," Finn observed, taking a sip of his Cosmo. Usually, he would rather have beer than a girly drink, but it wasn't really that bad.

"I found them in the hall closet. It's better than having to do more dishes," Rachel said with a smile.

They were watching the ball drop on TV. Both of them agreed that watching it on TV was a better option this year since Rachel had to go to the bathroom once every hour. Plus, it was pretty cold outside, so they were more than happy to let the rest of New York sit outside and freeze while they stayed warm in their apartment.

Rachel yawned again, not used to staying up so late.

"It's almost midnight, Rach. You can go to bed after that," Finn said with a chuckle.

"Thank goodness," Rachel said happily. They had spent the last week together since Finn was off of work. The only time that they weren't together was when Rachel went to the music store. She explained to Finn her arrangement with Sam – singing lessons for the drum set. He was very grateful for it. What she was doing seemed more personal than just buying someone something.

The other times that they weren't together was when Finn had to run for the store for more ice cream, peanut butter, or some other things she started craving.

"One minute left," Finn said excitedly. They both watched on television as the crowd started to go wild. Fifty seconds later, they heard the people counting down more clearly in unison.

"Ten… nine… eight…" they continued on.

Rachel felt herself gravitating slowly toward Finn with the countdown; Finn was doing the same. The crowd was on five when she whispered to Finn. "You can be my New Year's kiss if you want to."

"I want to," he whispered back. They heard the crowd yell "Happy New Year!" before their lips met. Rachel couldn't quite control her reaction as Finn's lips met hers. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. Finn weaved his fingers in her hair, holding her securely against him.

Moments later, Rachel pulled away slowly from Finn.

"Um…" was all she could say.

"Happy New Year," Finn said weakly.

"Yeah. Same to you," she said awkwardly. "I'm going to get in the shower now."

"Okay…" Finn said. Rachel got off the couch quickly and walked into the bathroom.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, breathing a little heavily.

"Wow…" she said. Just like before, she wanted to go out there and kiss him again, but she forced herself to stay in the bathroom. _It was just a New Year's kiss, right? He can't feel _that_ way toward me_, she reasoned. She was surprised when she noticed the wetness between her legs. Whatever that kiss was, it turned her on.

Finn sat on the couch, trying to think of anything but Rachel; he didn't want her coming out of the bathroom and noticing his boner. That kiss made him want more of Rachel. But he couldn't push her into anything right now. He had to be patient.

Finn was still sitting on the couch when Rachel was finished showering. They both sat on opposite ends of the couch, not talking about what had just happened.

Around one in the morning, Rachel had fallen asleep leaning on the arm of the couch. Like he had the first night she stayed there, Finn laid her down on her pillow and covered her up before kissing her on the forehead.

-glee-glee-glee-

They hadn't really discussed the New Year's kiss since it happened; the both of them just acted like it didn't happen. Rachel wondered if Finn regretted it while Finn wondered the same thing about Rachel. They would even catch each other staring at one another; it wasn't very awkward at the apartment, but they were both knowingly flirting with one another.

When they weren't flirting with one another, Finn was keeping a close eye on Rachel for emotional reasons. Sometimes, she would just stare out the window while sitting on the couch and he knew that she was thinking about her dads. He didn't really know how to comfort her; his dad died when he was a baby and no one very close to him had died since then. He talked to Kurt about it, but Kurt said that everyone mourned in their own way.

Kurt was also very anxious to meet Rachel. He could tell that Finn liked her more than he was letting on. But Kurt was worried about Finn and Rachel; she was pregnant with another man's child after all. It could sound like an episode of _Jerry Springer_ or another one of those terrible shows. But after Finn told Kurt everything about Rachel and how she came to live with him, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl.

And she wanted to be on Broadway, so Kurt knew that they would get along.

Kurt had been telling Finn's mom, Carole, all about Rachel, unbeknownst to Finn.

Rachel promised that she would let Finn know how the baby was doing immediately after she found out. He even tried to offer to leave work early and go with her, but Rachel declined the offer. She arrived at the doctor's office ten minutes before her appointment. She was officially three months along as of two days ago.

She and Finn had celebrated the three month mark with more ice cream. Her bump was slightly more pronounced than a month ago, but anyone who saw it would just think that she was bloated or something. But Rachel and Finn knew what was growing inside of her and they were both happy about it.

The nurse called Rachel's name and took her to be weighed before she led her into the room with the ultrasound machine. Rachel sat there, waiting for the ultrasound technician with her leg bouncing in excitement.

Minutes later, the technician walked in.

"Are you Rachel Berry?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," Rachel said.

"Good. I'm Laura and I'll be the one helping you out today," she looked down at the chart in her hands. "I need to ask you a few questions first," Laura said.  
"Okay," Rachel said eagerly.

"Now, have you been experiencing any morning sickness or stomach pain?"

"No on either account," Rachel said happily.

"That's good," Laura said, scribbling on the chart. "Now, tell me about your diet."

"I've been keeping it as balanced as possible except for the random ice cream cravings," Rachel said. "And I've been taking my prenatal vitamins every day."

"Perfect," Laura said. "You're weight's looking good for someone as tiny as you and it sounds like everything's going just fine."

"It is. I've been pretty lucky so far," Rachel said, placing her hand on her stomach.

"I'd say so," Laura said with a smile. "Now, let's get a look at your baby."

Rachel laid back excitedly and pulled her shirt up. The technician switched the machine on before spreading gel on Rachel's stomach.

Rachel waited as the technician tried to pinpoint the baby on the ultrasound.

"There the baby is," she said, pointing to the screen. Rachel smiled at seeing her baby again. "And see that little flicker? That's the heart beating."

Rachel didn't take her eyes off the screen; she didn't even blink. She just lay there, staring at her child while the ultrasound technician took some other measurements.

All too soon, Laura announced that she was finished.

"Can you leave the picture of the baby up? I want to send a picture to someone," she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket.

"Of course," the technician said, hitting some more buttons. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Thank you so much," Rachel said. Laura smiled before walking out of the room.

Rachel wiped the gel off of her stomach before sitting up. She snapped a picture of her tiny baby on the screen before sending the picture to Finn. Less than a minute later, her phone was ringing. She smiled when she saw that it was Finn.

"I'm guessing you got the picture," Rachel laughed.

"I got it alright. And I already sent it to Kurt," he laughed. "He'll probably be calling me back in a few minutes."

"So, what do you think? He or she is _so_ tiny, but I'm sure it will probably be born already able to play drums since it hears you playing them all the time," she said with a smile.

"The baby will be one hell of a singer, too. Look who it's mom is," Finn said, making Rachel blush.

"Well, I just wanted to show you the baby. You should get back to work now, Mr. Hudson," Rachel said.

"Alright," he said grudgingly. "But we're eating out for dinner to celebrate."

"Chinese sounds good," Rachel said happily.

"You got it, babe. I'll see you when I get home," Finn said.

"Bye, Finn," Rachel said.

"Bye, Rach," he replied before hanging up.

Rachel put her phone down next to her. "Did he just call me 'babe'?" she asked out loud. Rachel then thought that she should feel more freaked out at this latest development. But him calling her that made her feel more happy than anything.

-glee-glee-glee-

Once she got back to the apartment, she sat there staring at the ultrasounds, still blown away that this was a picture of her _child_ in her hands.

Already, her mind was running through different names to give him or her. Nothing seemed quite _right_, but she knew that she wanted to name the baby after Finn in some way. That might be a little difficult since the baby could be a girl, but she wanted the baby to have part of Finn's name. He saved her, after all.

"Now, I know you might not like mommy's favorite movie, but there's nothing wrong with enjoying the classics," she said to her belly. She got up and put in _Funny Girl_ again. "And even if you hate musicals when you grow up, I'll still love you anyway." She rubbed her belly in circles, hoping that the baby could hear her. "But I really hope you like them. Barbra's just _phenomenal_."

The credits were rolling when she heard the front door being unlocked. She turned off the DVD player before grabbing the ultrasounds and practically running toward the door. She watched as Finn walked in with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

"Hey, Rach," he said happily. "These are for you," he said, holding out the flowers.

"They're gorgeous, Finn," she said, grabbing the pink and white tulips from him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said.

She set them down on the breakfast nook before holding the ultrasounds out to him. "I would like to introduce you to my baby," she said with a wide smile.

Finn smirked before grabbing the pictures from her and looking through them. "This little guy or girl's one lucky kid," Finn said, looking through the pictures.

"Why do say that?" Rachel said. She stood next to him and looked at the pictures as he flipped through them.

"He or she has you as a mom," Finn said simply. Rachel looked up at him and smiled.

"Let's not forget that the baby's going to have you in its life as well. I personally hope they grow up to be just like you," Rachel said.

"Really?" Finn asked, looking away from the pictures and into her eyes.

"Absolutely," Rachel said. "You're the kindest, sweetest man I've ever met. I hope my child's like that, too."

Finn didn't think – he just reacted. He reached a hand out and touched her cheek softly before moving his face toward hers. Rachel moved in, too, almost like they were magnets.

Their lips met in a sweet kiss that soon turned more urgent. Rachel wrapped her hands around his neck and stood on her tippy toes so that she would have better access.

Finn groaned in pleasure as Rachel sucked on his lower lip. His lips didn't leave hers as he placed the ultrasound photos on the nook next to the flowers.

He then used both hands to pick Rachel up. She wound her legs around his waist. He then walked toward the bedroom with their lips still connected. His knees hit the edge of the bed and he laid Rachel down gently. His lips separated from hers for a moment, but it was long enough for her to regain control of herself.

"Finn. Wait," Rachel panted.

"What's wrong?" he asked in confusion.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Making out," Finn said with a smirk.

"You know what I mean," she said. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away gently. "Are we… what are we exactly?"

"What do you mean?" Finn asked.

"Well, I can't just keep kissing you and develop all these feelings if you don't reciprocate them," Rachel said breathlessly.

"Who said I don't have any feelings toward you?"

"I don't know… I just didn't want you to think that turning me down would hurt my feelings. You don't owe me anything else, Finn. If you're not interested, just let me know," she said quickly and quietly.

"But I am interested," Finn replied.

"You… you are?" Rachel asked, sounding shocked.

"Totally and completely," Finn said with a smile.

"But I'm pregnant," she said, shaking her head.

"I know that," Finn said.

"How can you be interested in a woman who's carrying someone else's child?" Rachel asked, sounding perplexed.

"How can I not be interested?" Finn countered. "You're gorgeous and brave and talented and so passionate about absolutely everything. I'd have to be crazy to not be interested in you, Rach."

"Wait. So what are you saying?" Rachel couldn't make sense of what he was saying because it didn't make any sense.

"What I'm saying is I want you to be my girlfriend, Rach," Finn said, feeling nervous. _But she said she had feelings for me, right? So maybe she wants this as much as I do,_ Finn reasoned.

Rachel was frozen for a few moments. "Are you sure?" she asked, still sounding doubtful.

"Yup," he said quickly. "So, will you be my girlfriend?"

Rachel broke out into a wide smile. "Yes, Finn. I would be delighted," she said.

Finn smiled before closing the distance between him and Rachel again. "Now we get to do this all the time," he murmured. Then, his lips were on hers.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Since you're already moved in with me, would you be okay with sharing my bed?" he asked as they sat on the couch. They sat very close now. Finn's arm was around Rachel's shoulders and her legs were tangled with his.

"I'd like that," Rachel said with a smile. Finn kissed her on top of the head before they returned their attention to the TV.

Rachel stopped Finn before they could get too far earlier. Yes, she was very attracted to him, but she wasn't ready to have sex with someone that had _just_ become her boyfriend. She wanted to take things slow and do things right.

Rachel had put her flowers in a vase while Finn called and ordered dinner. She even hung the ultrasound pictures on the fridge, smiling happily at them.

"I need one," Finn said, walking up behind her.

"For what?" Rachel asked, grabbing one of the pictures down and handing it to Finn. He didn't say anything, but he pulled out his wallet and slipped the picture in front of his ID. He then looked up to see that Rachel had a wide smile on her face.

"You're just too sweet for words," she said, stretching upwards to kiss him on his cheek.

Later that night, Rachel wore one of Finn's shirts to bed. "I could really get used to this," she said, lying on Finn's chest. She was rubbing his leg with her foot as he was tracing patterns on her arm.

"Well, we've got plenty of time for you to get used to it," he said, making Rachel smile.

"So, when are you going to tell Kurt we're a couple?" Rachel asked.

"How'd you know I was going to tell him?"

"Finn, you tell him absolutely everything. I haven't even met him yet and he knows all about me," she said with a giggle.

"Sorry. I had to talk to someone about you," Finn said before kissing her head.

"I don't mind. I want to meet him soon," she said.

"He wants to meet you, too. We just have to wait until Kurt's boyfriend's on Spring Break. Then they're both going to visit," Finn said.

"I can't wait," Rachel said.

"Kurt's going to love you. Oh, and he told me he's already started shopping for the baby. He knows it's not mine, but he loves shopping anyway," Finn said with a smile.

"Make sure you tell him that I appreciate it," Rachel said before yawning.

"I will," he promised. "Now get to sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Rachel said quietly.

Minutes later, they were both asleep and still wrapped in each other's arms.

-glee-glee-glee-

VALENTINE'S DAY

Ever since the day they decided to be a couple, her and Finn had naturally grown closer. And as a sign of being in a real relationship, they already had their first argument.

And, of course, it was over something stupid.

-One Week Ago-

"Do we really have to watch _Funny Girl _again?" Finn groaned.

"The baby likes it, Finn," Rachel said after putting the movie in.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"I can feel it moving around more when I watch it," she said, taking a seat next to Finn.

"He or she's probably just trying to cower away from it," Finn said under his breath. Rachel glared at him before returning her attention to the screen.

The first song started playing and Finn couldn't take it. "It's _my_ TV and DVD player! I should get to choose what we watch," he complained. Rachel turned and frowned at him. She then picked up the DVD remote and turned the movie off.

"That's a really nice thing to say to someone who owns absolutely nothing. Go ahead and keep rubbing it in my face," she said, getting up off the couch and stomping toward the bedroom.

"No, Rach," Finn said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that." He turned just in time to see the bedroom door slam shut. "Shit," he murmured under his breath.

It took Finn a good twenty minutes of begging and apologizing through the door before Rachel let him in the bedroom. He had to swear that he would never bring something like that up again before Rachel would even let him hold her. Once she forgave him, everything was fine.

But she totally made him watch _Funny Girl_ the next night.

-Valentine's Day morning-

Rachel forced Finn to agree that they wouldn't spend any money on gifts for one another on Valentine's Day. Finn wasn't too happy about it, but he hoped that she would be happy with what he had planned. Once he got off work, he hurried home to his more than 4 months pregnant girlfriend. She was visibly pregnant now since she was so tiny to begin with. She also had to go the bathroom a lot more since the baby was getting heavier. Rachel had also started feeling something stronger than the usual flutters, which she assumed were tiny kicks.

When he got to the apartment, Rachel was already sitting in the bedroom, where she was being forced to stay until her Valentine's Day gift was ready. He ran in there and kissed her and said "Happy Valentine's Day" before walking out of the room and closing the door behind him.

He then started on the only meal he was great at – grilled cheese sandwiches and soup.

Rachel could smell what he was making, so that part of the "surprise" was kind of ruined. She was still very touched that he was making dinner for her since he was so terrible at cooking. Somehow, he had managed to ruin spaghetti, which is probably the easiest meal to make. Plus, she was pretty glad that she got the night off from cooking.

The gift that she was giving Finn was a bit more personal than dinner. She wasn't quite sure how he would feel about having sex with a pregnant woman, but when they kissed, he wasn't that good at hiding his arousal. And Rachel had been wanting to have sex for a while now. She read somewhere that some pregnant women became more… turned on during their pregnancy. Rachel was shocked to learn that she was one of those women. Her and Finn had been together for almost a month and a half and her feelings for him were only growing stronger.

So, tonight would be the night that she wouldn't hold back.

She heard Finn call her name. A smile grew on her face as she got up off the bed. Once she was standing, she steadied herself before opening the door and walking out of the bedroom.

She turned the corner into the kitchen and was surprised to see the set up. The breakfast nook was covered in a white table cloth. The lights were down low, with candles everywhere. A large bouquet of Rachel's favorite flowers, pink and white tulips, were on the table in a vase. Finn was standing by the nook with a wide smile on his face.

"Happy Valentine's Day, babe," he said. Rachel smiled widely with tears in her eyes before walking toward him. He opened his arms just as she reached him. They hugged each other tightly.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she whispered into his ear. Then, Rachel stood on her tippy toes and kissed Finn firmly on the lips. He reciprocated earnestly, holding her close to him with one arm while his other hand cupped her cheek softly.

Rachel pulled away after a few moments. "This is so perfect," she said with a smile.

"It's our first Valentine's Day together. I wanted it to be awesome," Finn said.

"Well, you did an amazing job," she said. Finn chuckled before pulling one of the seats out for Rachel. The seats were kind of high, so he helped her up just a bit and pushed the seat in. He walked over to the stove and grabbed the bowls of soup, balancing both of them carefully. He set Rachel's down in front of her before putting his down in front of his seat. He then grabbed the grilled cheese sandwiches and split them between the both of them.

"I know you're supposed to have wine at fancy dinners, so I got some cider that's in a bottle that looks like a wine bottle," he said with a smirk, making Rachel giggle. He poured the cider in plastic wine glasses before finally taking his seat.

He laughed when he saw that Rachel had already started eating.

"Sorry. The pregnant woman's hungry," she said with a smile.

Dinner went by rather quickly since Finn was always hungry and Rachel was pregnant and hungry.

"Don't worry about the dishes," Finn said. "I'll do them."

"You're so sweet," Rachel said with a smile. "You go ahead and start them and I'll be right back." She got down off the tall chair and walked around the nook to kiss Finn's cheek before walking back into the bedroom.

She took off her dress and leggings, leaving her in only her underwear and bra. She went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her swollen stomach was stretch mark free, thanks to the lotion that Finn had bought. Her boobs were larger than they had been before, which required her to buy new bras. Finn was quite a fan of the larger breasts. She brushed through her hair and tried to prepare herself for sex with Finn. She knew that this was going to be something special.

She smiled at herself in the mirror before walking back through the bedroom and into the kitchen area. Finn was standing at the sink, doing the dishes. Rachel smiled at how sweet he was before clearing her throat. The dishes could wait.

Finn turned after hearing Rachel and his eyes bugged out.

"I think it's time for your Valentine's Day gift," she said with a smile. Finn's eyes went from her gorgeous face to her awesome boobs to her beautiful baby bump to her perfect legs and back up again. He quickly turned back around and shut the sink off, wiping his hands on a dish towel hastily.

He turned back to Rachel and saw that she was smiling widely. He walked toward her and grabbed the hand that she held out. She then pulled him into the bedroom.

Once they were inside, she dropped his hand and continued walking to the bed. He closed the bedroom door and turned back to Rachel.

She was standing in front of the bed with a smile. She lifted her finger and signaled him to come forward. He smirked before doing as he was told.

Her lips were on his immediately. Finn ran his hands down the sides of her body as they kissed, making her moan.

"What is this exactly?" he whispered into her lips.

"I want you to make love to me," she whispered back before kissing him again.

"Are you sure?" he asked after pulling away slightly.

"Absolutely," she replied. Finn smiled widely before bringing his lips back to hers. Rachel started with his belt, unbuckling it with frantic fingers. Finn pulled away again before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it behind him. Rachel pulled his belt out of the loops swiftly and dropped it on the floor before starting to unbutton his pants. They dropped to the floor and Rachel could see that he was already _very_ aroused. She looked from his tented boxers back up to his smirk.

"Someone's anxious," she said with a smile.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, Miss Berry," he replied before reaching down and kissing her again. She pulled away slightly.

"Well, thank you for being so patient," she said.

"Anything for you," Finn replied. Rachel reached behind her and unsnapped her bra. Finn watched in excitement as it fell away from her breasts. The bra dropped onto the floor, but Finn's eyes were glued on the perfect girl standing in front of him. She reached down and pulled her underwear down before they fell to the floor. She stepped out of them before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Care to join me?" she asked as she scooted backwards. Finn shook his head, trying to focus. He pulled down his boxers quickly before climbing on the bed. Rachel laid back and looked up at Finn.

The moonlight was coming through the blinds and made Rachel look like she was glowing. "You're so beautiful," he murmured, observing every single inch of her.

He leaned down and brought his lips to hers. "And you're perfect," she whispered.

He hovered over her as they kissed. She pulled him closer and closer to her, never wanting this moment to end.

They made love for hours.

-glee-glee-glee-

It was three in the morning when Rachel and Finn were finally tired out. They were both naked and under the covers, snuggled closer for warmth and facing each other. Finn was rubbing Rachel's stomach soothingly, making her feel warm and tingly. Her cheeks hurt from smiling nonstop for hours. She looked up and saw that Finn was still staring at her; it almost looked like he was in awe.

"You know very well that I love attention, but why on earth are you still staring?" she said with a giggle.

"I can't stop," he said simply with a shrug. Rachel smiled at him.

They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Of course," he replied, still rubbing her stomach.

"I know that you had a difficult time after Quinn… but I was wondering if it was okay that the baby called you dad," she said quietly.

Finn's hand stopped rubbing her stomach, but didn't leave her skin. He didn't say anything, but his eyes didn't leave hers.

"I'm taking your silence as a no," she said quietly.

"I wasn't going so say no, Rach," he said quickly. "It's just… Jesse's the baby's dad. I can't be."

"You're wrong," she said in a low voice. "Jesse's the baby's father; that's just genetics. You could be the baby's dad. The dad's the one who loves the kid unconditionally regardless of whose genes he has…" Finn was still quiet. "If it's too difficult for you, I understand…" she said, her face slowly turning into a frown.

Finn quickly reached forward and kissed her softly. "I'm not saying no," he said with a small smile. "I just can't believe that someone's gonna call me _dad_."

Rachel smiled widely. "Any child would be so lucky to call you dad," she said softly. Finn reached forward and kissed her again. When they pulled away a minute later, panting slightly, Finn rested his forehead on hers.

"I love you," he said with a smile.

Rachel pulled away and looked into his eyes. A smile started to form on her face.

"I love you too, Finn," she replied in a whisper. Finn started scooting down on the bed. Rachel was confused for a second, but then she smiled when his face rested next to her stomach. She rolled onto her back and Finn hovered over her belly.

"Hey there baby," he said quietly. "I'm gonna be your dad." He reached out and rubbed Rachel's stomach, bringing tears to her eyes. "And I love you and your mommy so much." Finn looked up when he heard Rachel burst into tears.

"Babe," he said chuckling, scooting back up the bed. "What's wrong?"

He pulled her into his arms. "Nothing's wrong," she cried. "I'm just so happy."

Finn smiled and kissed her forehead. "Since when do you cry when you're happy?" he asked with a smirk.

"Since now! Stupid hormones," she cried. Finn laughed heartily before lying back down and pulling her into his arms. They fell asleep minutes later.

Finn woke up three and a half hours later to get ready for work. He was tired, but he wouldn't have traded last night or this morning for anything.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: Up next: Rachel meets Kurt and Blaine. Will they hit it off? Or will Kurt be mad that Finn's going to be a dad to a kid that isn't his? Please keep reading to find out!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I still own nothing.

Helping the Helpless: Chapter Five

It was early March and Finn and Rachel were in a cab, on the way to the doctor's office for Rachel's monthly checkup. They were both very excited to find out the sex of the baby today. She had just turned five months pregnant four days ago and was continuing to grow. Finn thought she looked adorable when she started waddling around with that big belly of hers.

"I have an idea for the baby's name if it's a boy," she said suddenly. Finn's hand was intertwined in hers and his thumb was rubbing the back of her hand.

"It better not be another name from a musical," he said with a groan.

"Don't worry, it's not," she said with a smile.

"Let's hear it, then," he said. He was enjoying the day so far. He and Rachel had started his day off with some amazing sex and he was now going to see and hear the baby for the first time with her.

"Christopher Liam Hudson," she said. "I like Christopher because he would be named after both you and your father. And for his middle name, I mixed together my dad's names, Hiram and Leroy."

Finn smiled widely before kissing her cheek. "It's perfect," he said with a smile. "My mom will love it. But what if the baby's a girl?"

Rachel shrugged. "We have a little time to figure something out. A boy's name was easier to pick," she explained. "When's your mom coming down again?"

"When is she visiting?" Rachel asked. Carole was excited when she heard about Finn being the baby's dad. She was concerned at first, but she could tell that Finn was happier than he had been in a long time, so she was on board with the plan rather quickly.

"She'll be down in April. Burt's gonna try and get off to come with her," he said. "She wants to go with us to see the baby for your April appointment."

"That sounds perfect," Rachel said, leaning her head on Finn's shoulder.

"And Kurt's coming next Friday with Blaine. They can't wait to meet you," Finn said happily.

"I'm so glad the baby's going to have such an amazing family," she said. "It's going to have two uncles and a grandma and grandpa that will love him so much."

"They're all excited. Kurt told me he's got the baby enough clothes until it's five. All gender neutral so far. Then they'll probably go to town once we know the gender. And mom's bringing some gifts down with her. She's so stoked about being a grandma," he said with a smile. Rachel brought a hand to her stomach and moaned. "What is it?" he asked quickly.

"I have to pee again. The baby's lying on my bladder," she laughed and Finn joined in.

-glee-glee-glee-

A new ultrasound technician walked into the room Finn and Rachel were in.

"Hello there. I'm John," he said with a smile. "You're Miss Berry, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, but you can call me Rachel," she said, returning the smile.

"And who is this?" he asked, extending his hand to Finn.

"Finn Hudson," Finn replied, shaking his hand.

"He's the baby's dad," Rachel said with a smile. Finn looked over at her and smiled back. He'd never get sick of hearing her say that.

"That's great," John said. He pulled up a rolling chair and switched the ultrasound machine on. "Let's see how your little one's doing, shall we?"

Rachel pulled up her shirt, already used to the ultrasound process. She reached out and Finn grabbed her hand automatically. Then, they both looked up to the screen in anticipation. John squeezed the gel on Rachel's stomach before placing the probe on her stomach and spreading the gel around.

Finn and Rachel watched the screen and waited for John to find the baby.

"There it is," John said a few moments later. Finn chuckled in excitement and tears sprang to Rachel's eyes. They both stared at the baby on the monitor; it was moving around a little. It was weird for Rachel to see and feel the baby moving at the same time.

"Now we'll play the heartbeat to make sure everything's okay," John said. He hit a few buttons on the computer screen. Moments later, they could hear the rhythmic beating of the baby's heartbeat. Finn looked over to Rachel and saw that she was staring at the screen, crying. He raised their intertwined hands and kissed the back of hers before looking back at the screen.

"And now…" John said, searching around again. "We just need to get a good view here…" They watched as he looked at the baby from all angles. "There we go," he said with a smirk. Do you both want to know the sex?" he asked, looking from Finn to Rachel.

"Absolutely," Rachel said with Finn nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Alright," John chuckled. "The two of you are having a boy. Congrats."

Finn chuckled loudly the same time that Rachel squealed, both overwhelmed with happiness. He stared at the screen while Rachel squeezed his hand. That was his _son_! And he was hearing his heartbeat for the first time. It was hard for Finn to explain the overwhelming feeling of love and affection he was having for his little guy right at that moment.

John snapped a few pictures before looking around a little more.

"Your son's doing just fine," John said with a smile. "He's the perfect height and weight and everything." He then turned the machine off. "The nurse will have the pictures for you when you leave." John handed Rachel a paper towel and she wiped her stomach off.

"Your doctor will be right in. It was nice meeting you," John said. Finn stood up and shook his hand again.

"Thanks," he said with a smile.

"Yes. Thank you," Rachel replied.

"It's no problem," John said before walking out of the room.

Finn turned to Rachel when the door closed. "How do you feel, daddy?" she asked with a smile.

"Like the luckiest guy alive," he said firmly. Rachel smiled more widely. "I can't wait until Chris is here." Rachel smiled widely at Finn using Chris's name. It sounded perfect.

"Well, we've got four more months to wait," Rachel said, rubbing her stomach. "But I'm sure he'll be here before we know it. Maybe we should stop having so much sex and just get as much sleep as we can get while we still can."

"I'd rather be sleep deprived than have no sex, Rach," Finn said seriously, making Rachel laugh.

-glee-glee-glee-

After Rachel was given a clean bill of health, she and Finn took a cab to Sam's music store to borrow his van so they could go shopping. Rachel wasn't giving him singing lessons anymore since it was getting harder and harder for her to walk so much. Sam had proposed to Mercedes on Christmas and had said yes, which didn't surprise Rachel.

Sam said hello to Finn and Rachel and saw a picture of the ultrasound. He was ecstatic the baby was a boy and hugged both Finn and Rachel before they had to leave. They then took Sam's van and went to a department store to shop for the baby.

"I like the dark wood," Rachel said, comparing that crib with a white one next to it. "It would go along with the bedroom furniture better. And it has drawers for his clothes, so we won't have to buy a dresser."

"Just admit that you're picking it because it's cheaper," Finn said with an amused smile.

"Well, that's one reason, but it's not the only one," she replied.

"Whatever you say, babe," Finn said. Rachel smiled up at him.

"Now, are you sure you're okay with doing gender neutral bed sheets?" she asked, holding up the green and yellow striped sheets.

"Totally," Finn said. "Plus, it totally goes with that blanket I got him." Rachel looked in the cart at the rest of the things they had bought Chris. Finn insisted on getting him a football and a stuffed monkey that Rachel thought looked like socks. They also grabbed two large boxes of diapers and wipes that Rachel guesstimated would last about a week.

Rachel was going to grab more things, like bottles and things like that, but Finn surprised her by telling her that Kurt and his mother were planning on throwing her a baby shower. She had starting tearing up in the middle of the store and cursed her hormones again.

Before they had left that morning, Rachel and Finn had cleaned out half of the closet in the bathroom where they could store more baby things. The closet in the bedroom already had enough room for the large boxes of diapers and wipes that they wouldn't need for a few months.

Rachel had to pull Finn away from the Power Wheels, reminding him that Chris wouldn't be able to walk for at least a year after he was born, let alone drive a Power Wheel truck.

Finn carried the crib out to Sam's van while Rachel pushed the cart with their other purchases. Finn loaded the van and they headed back to the apartment.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn's bedroom was rather large, so there was plenty of room in there for the crib to fit. The only problem was putting the crib together.

"What the hell is this?" Finn asked himself, picking up a random piece. He looked at the directions and had no idea where it went. He was sitting on the floor, surrounded by the pieces of the crib.

Rachel was sitting on the bed, trying not to laugh at Finn. She had finished putting the rest of the baby stuff away half an hour ago and Finn still didn't have the crib put together.

"You would have picked the most difficult crib on the entire planet," he complained, putting the piece down.

Rachel couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed before getting up off the bed. "Scoot over," she said, nudging Finn with her foot.

Finn scooted himself over and pushed the pieces aside, making room for Rachel. He then held her arm and steadied her as she crouched down. When she was finally on the floor, she grabbed the directions from out of Finn's lap.

"Let's see…" Rachel said, looking at the directions. Half an hour later, Finn stood next to the assembled crib with a smile.

"Awesome teamwork, baby," he said with a smile.

"I heard raising a child requires teamwork, but I didn't know that extended to putting the baby's furniture together as well," she said, making Finn laugh. Finn then moved the crib into the corner before turning back to Rachel. "Help me up?" she asked, reaching her hands up.

Finn grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet, still not bothered by the additional weight. "Thanks, honey," Rachel said, kissing him on the cheek. She went to bend over and grab the garbage off the floor, but Finn stepped in her way.

"I've got it," he said quickly. Rachel smiled.

"Fine. I'll go get the sheets out of the dryer," she said.

She came back into the room with the baby's sheets in her hand and was surprised to see that Finn had already attached the mobile to the crib. She smiled sweetly at the lion, giraffe, elephant, monkey, and rhino that were dangling from the mobile.

By the time Finn came out of the bathroom, the sheets were on the crib. He also saw that Rachel had put the blanket inside that he had bought Chris, along with his stuffed monkey.

He stepped up behind Rachel, who was admiring the crib. He reached forward and placed his hands on her swollen stomach, rubbing it soothingly.

"It looks perfect," Rachel said, leaning her head back into Finn's chest.

"It does," he said with a smile before kissing her on top of her head.

"Oh! I have to pee!" she said quickly before rushing into the bathroom. Finn laughed as he watched her waddle away.

-glee-glee-glee-

"How do I look?" Rachel asked Finn, sounding slightly panicked. She was wearing a new red maternity dress that showed off her continuously expanding stomach and boobs. She was also wearing some black ballet flats since all of her other shoes hurt her feet.

"You look beautiful," Finn said a smile. He was standing at the stove, stirring the sauce that Rachel had made while she got dressed.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't want to make the wrong first impression."

"Kurt and Blaine will love you," Finn insisted. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"It's the first time I'm meeting anyone from your family," she said, walking over to the stove. "What if they don't like me? Then all family gatherings in the future will be torture."

Finn laughed. "Stop freaking out. You'll be fine," he said, handing her the spoon so she could stir. "And if they don't like you, I'm sure they'll fall in love with your banana bread."

Rachel laughed before playfully slapping him with the spoon. "Speaking of banana bread, if you ate any while I was getting dressed, I will hurt you," she warned.

"I'm so scared," Finn said with a chuckle. Just then, the doorbell rang, making Rachel squeal. "Relax, babe," Finn said before walking toward the door.

Finn opened the door and was shocked to see Kurt and Blaine standing there, holding at least ten huge bags of stuff.

"What the hell is all this?" he asked, laughing.  
"Baby stuff," Kurt said, pushing his way into the house. Blaine followed behind.

"I tried to stop him. I really did," Blaine said with a smile.

"I believe you," Finn laughed before closing the door.

Kurt and Blaine set the bags down by the door before walking into the kitchen.

Finn smiled when he saw Rachel smiling widely and hugging Kurt.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Kurt," Rachel said happily.

"You, too!" Kurt said before letting go of her. He then crouched down so that he was right in front of her stomach. He placed a hand gently on Rachel's large bump. "It's very nice to meet you too, Chris. I'm your favorite uncle, Kurt. We can't wait to see you!" He stood back up and moved out of the way so Rachel could hug Blaine.

"I've heard so many great things about you," Blaine said.

"Same here," Rachel said. Blaine let go of her and looked down at her stomach.

"Do you mind?" he asked.

"Go ahead," Rachel said with a laugh. Blaine smiled as he rubbed Rachel's stomach. "You'd be surprised at how many strangers touch my stomach at the grocery store."

"Totally. It's mostly old ladies, too," Finn agreed.

"He moves around a lot, but he's not quite kicking yet. I can feel it, but Finn can't," Rachel said. Blaine let go of her stomach and smiled at her.

"With my luck, he'll start kicking when I'm at work and I'll miss it," Finn said.

"Don't worry," Rachel said. "Once he starts, he won't stop."

Kurt offered to help Rachel finish dinner. They shooed Finn and Blaine out of the kitchen and turned the radio on. Finn and Blaine could hear them from the living room.

"She's got an amazing voice," Blaine complimented.

"Hell yeah she does," Finn agreed. "She wants to be on Broadway."

"Kurt told me," Blaine said. "He told me everything, actually. How is she doing?"

"She's great. We both are," Finn said. "I feel bad for her every single day though. She has no other family at all or anything. I feel bad every time I call my mom or Burt or Kurt, knowing that she has no family to talk to."

"Well, she has us now," Blaine said with a smile.

"Yeah," Finn agreed. They both smiled when they heard Kurt and Rachel laughing loudly from the kitchen. "She's honestly the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Just then, Rachel went running into the bedroom. Finn heard the bathroom door close.

Kurt, still laughing, walked into the living room.

"Word to the wise: Don't make a pregnant woman laugh too hard. She might almost wet herself," he said, chuckling, making Finn and Blaine laugh.

A minute later, Rachel came out of the bathroom, laughing to herself.

"I made it in time," she said with a smile. Her eyes met Finn's and she smiled more widely.

"Come on, diva," Kurt said. "Let's finish dinner before you go into labor."

-glee-glee-glee-

Dinner went surprisingly well and they were all sitting at the nook together, talking and laughing.

"Really, Finn?" Kurt laughed as Finn grabbed more banana bread.

"Not my fault it's good," he replied, taking another bite.

"Oh," Rachel moaned, placing a hand on her stomach. Everyone looked at her quickly.

"Something wrong?" Finn choked.

Rachel shook her head. "I think he just kicked," she said, sounding amazed. "Oh!" she said again. She grabbed Finn's hand and placed it on her stomach. They waited a few moments and Finn felt a light thud against his hand.

"Oh my God," he said, looking up to Rachel. She had tears in her eyes.

"My turn!" Kurt called, running around the nook. Finn moved his hand and Rachel placed Kurt's on her stomach.

Kurt squealed when he felt the smallest amount of pressure against his hand. "That's amazing," he said in wonder.

"Blaine's turn," Rachel said. Blaine got up and walked around the table.

"Incredible," he murmured when he felt the kick.

"Hi baby," Rachel crooned to her stomach. Kurt and Blaine took their seats again, talking excitedly. Rachel grabbed Finn's hand again and held it against her stomach. "Say hi to daddy," Rachel said with tears in her eyes.

Finn chuckled when he felt Chris kick a few more times. "That's my little man," Finn said fondly. "He's already got rhythm." Everyone around the table laughed.

-glee-glee-glee-

They ended up going through the bags of clothes that night. Rachel was convinced that baby Chris had enough clothes to wear something different every day for a year. She then guessed that that might have been Kurt's plan in the first place.

Over that weekend, Kurt and Rachel were practically inseparable. Even when Kurt and Blaine were back at their hotel, Rachel and Kurt texted frequently.

Kurt told her all about Los Angeles, where he and Blaine lived. Blaine attended UCLA and Kurt was working for some designer that Rachel had never heard of. He made her promise that when Chris was born that they would visit. Most of Kurt and Blaine's visit, Finn and Blaine played video games since Rachel and Kurt were busy talking about anything and everything Broadway.

Finn had even tried to teach Rachel how to play Call of Duty, but she was pretty terrible at it and kept accidentally killing Finn's player. Finn told her she was forbidden from touching the controller ever again.

Rachel made Kurt cry with her rendition of "My Man" and he insisted that Rachel should sing that song at her future auditions.

When Kurt and Blaine were gone, Finn's hand was practically glued to her stomach, waiting for little Chris to kick. Every time he kicked, tears came to Rachel's eyes and Finn smiled proudly.

As they slept at night, Finn's hand rested on her stomach.

-glee-glee-glee-

All too soon, Kurt and Blaine had to head back to L.A. They ate dinner together that night at Finn and Rachel's apartment. Once dinner was over, the tears were flowing.

"I'll call every single day," Kurt said as he hugged a teary eyed Rachel.

"You better," she said, sniffling.

"And we'll be back for your baby shower before you know it," Blaine added from next to Kurt.

"Exactly. In three more months, we'll be back. And your baby shower will be fabulous," Kurt gushed. He let go of Rachel and kissed his hand before pressing it to her stomach. "Bye Chris," he said gently to her stomach. "Uncle Kurt loves you."

Rachel smiled before it was Blaine's turn to hug her goodbye. "Please stop crying," he asked, chuckling. "You're going to make me start."

Rachel let go of him and giggled before wiping her eyes. "Sorry. Hormones," she said with a smile.

Blaine and Kurt hugged Finn and said goodbye before walking out the door. Finn closed it behind them and turned to Rachel.

"You okay, babe?" he asked, walking toward her.

"Yeah," she giggled. He pulled her into a hug anyway. "They're so amazing."

"I know," Finn agreed. "And they think you are, too. Told you they'd love you."

He heard Rachel giggle again. "Next I get to meet your mom," she said once he let go of her.

"She'll love you," Finn said. "I know it."

"She raised you pretty amazingly, so I just know I'll love her, too," Rachel said. Finn smiled before reaching down and kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to her. He wrapped one of his hands in her hair and kept her lips on his.

He pulled away moments later, breathing a little heavily.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked with a smirk.

"If you're thinking about having sex, then yes," she said with a giggle. Then, without warning, he reached down and scooped her up into his arms, carrying her into the bedroom.

He set her down next to the bed.

"I have to pee first," she said quickly. She waddled into the bathroom as quickly as she could, leaving a laughing Finn behind.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: Things went amazingly well with Kurt. Next, Rachel meets Finn's mom and stepdad. It's not all smiles and sunshine though…


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Nothing's mine. Sadly.

Helping the Helpless: Chapter Six

It was April, meaning Rachel was six months pregnant. It was getting increasingly difficult for Rachel to walk around so much with her belly that kept getting bigger and bigger. She was already tiny to begin with, and the extra weight wasn't always that easy to handle. Most nights, Finn massaged her swollen feet after dinner, earning him a round or two in bed that night.

No matter what, Rachel was never too tired for sex with Finn.

For their three month anniversary, she made him banana bread and they spent the entire night having sex. Finn needed coffee the next day to stay awake during work. But he had a wide smile on his face the entire day.

Burt ended up coming with Carole to the city. Finn and Rachel were going to meet them at an Italian restaurant near Times Square. Yet again, Rachel was freaking out. Finn thought she looked breathtaking in her yellow dress, black sweater, and black shoes, but she was at that stage where she thought she looked like a whale.

"Finn, I'm getting a double chin," she whined from the bathroom. Finn groaned before walking in the bathroom.

"Rach, I swear that you do not have a double chin and that you're the most beautiful woman on the entire planet," he said firmly. Rachel turned and looked at him.

"Are you just saying that so we aren't late?" she asked.

"No, baby," Finn said. "I promise that you look incredible."

Rachel scrutinized her expression for a few moments. "I believe you," she said.

"Are you ready?" he asked. "We have to be there in half an hour."

"I'm ready," she said. "Will we be walking much?"

"Just a little bit. You know how bad traffic is by Times Square," he said.

"I know," she moaned.

"Do you have to go to the bathroom?" he asked. He knew that pregnant chicks had to pee a lot, but Rachel seemed to use the restroom at least every ten minutes.

"I just went," she said with a smile. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Let's go," he said with a smirk.

-glee-glee-glee-

They made it to the restaurant in plenty of time but had to wait to be seated with Burt and Carole. As soon as Rachel saw Carole and Burt, she knew that they would be very nice people. Burt hugged her tightly, reminding her of when her fathers hugged her. Carole squealed when she finally saw Rachel and fussed over her for a good five minutes before she even hugged Finn.

"You remembered I exist?" Finn chuckled, hugging his mother back.

"Of course," his mother laughed. "This is just my first time seeing this beautiful girl of yours."

Rachel looked down and blushed.

"How long was the walk?" Carole asked.

"About two blocks," Finn said.

"We need to get Rachel a seat then," Carole said.

"I'm okay for a while," Rachel insisted. She looked down. "My feet aren't even swollen yet," she giggled, making Carole laugh.

Minutes later, the waitress showed them to their seats. Finn pulled Rachel's chair out for her.

"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said with a smile.

"You're welcome, babe," he said before pecking her on the cheek.

"Has he always been this chivalrous?" Rachel asked Carole, who was sitting across from her.

"In fact, he has," Carole said, looking at Finn fondly. "Looks like I raised him well."

"You definitely did," Rachel agreed. She looked at Finn in time to see him blush.

Carole and Burt already knew everything about Rachel, so it wasn't awkward at all. As soon as they started chatting, Rachel felt like part of the family.

"You'll be Chris's only grandparents. I hope you're ready for it," Rachel said with a smile.

"I'm more than ready to spoil my grandchild rotten," Carole replied with a laugh. "And Burt's already got him a little Ohio State football jersey."

"I already got him a football," Finn said with a smile.

"He's already very rhythmic," Rachel commented. "Finn plays his drums all the time and it almost feels like Chris kicks with perfect timing."

"I could tell Finn was going to play the drums before he was even one. He banged on absolutely everything," Carole remembered with a smile.

"Well Chris loves kicking mommy's internal organs," Rachel said, rubbing her stomach.

"Finn tells us you've got quite the voice," Burt said before taking a sip of his beer.

"I like to think so. I plan on being on Broadway some day," Rachel said.

"Do you sing to the baby?" Carole asked with a smile.

"Oh, all the time," Rachel said. "Finn does, too. He has a very nice voice." Finn blushed again, making Rachel giggle.

"Sounds like you're going to have one musical kid," Burt said with a chuckle.

"Even if he's not, there's still football," Finn said, making Rachel and Carole smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Your mom and Burt are incredible," Rachel commented as they walked away from the restaurant.

"I got lucky," Finn said. He had his arm around Rachel's shoulders and she leaned into his side as they walked.

"Do you have to go to work tomorrow?" she asked. "I really wanted you to see the baby again."

"Sorry babe, but I have to go," he said. "My mom said she would record the whole thing on her phone. And Burt will be there."

"It's still not the same as you being there," Rachel said. Finn bent down and kissed the top of Rachel's head.

"I know," he said. "I'll go to the next appointment. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," she said with a smile. "I am pretty excited for them to see Chris tomorrow. He's their first grandchild and it's a whole different experience seeing and hearing him on the screen than just looking at a picture."

"Just so you know, my mom's probably gonna cry," Finn laughed.

"I will be, too. It's fine," Rachel replied with a giggle.

"When you went to the bathroom, mom and Burt talked about you," Finn said, smiling.

"What did they say?" Rachel asked immediately, feeling nervous. Finn could hear the nervousness in her voice.

"Relax. They both absolutely love you and they said they've never seen me happier," he said.

"Really?" Rachel asked, sounding doubtful.

"Really," Finn said, giving Rachel's shoulder a squeeze.

"Anything else?" Rachel asked.

"Burt said that he's gonna kick Jesse's ass for getting you kicked out of school and leaving you alone with a baby," Finn said, his voice tightening a bit.

Rachel was silent for a moment. "If Jesse wasn't such an ass, I never would have met you," she said quietly.

Finn chuckled. "I guess you're right," he said. Rachel yawned loudly a moment later.

Finn kissed the top of her head again. "Let's get you home, mommy," he said.

"Sounds perfect," she said with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel slept until 8:30 the next morning, having been tired from dinner and walking last night. Her appointment was at ten and Carole and Burt were supposed to be coming at nine.

She jumped in the shower and warmed up her voice so she could sing to the baby like she did every day. She dressed for the day, in a pink sundress since the weather was going to be so nice. She matched it with a white sweater and some white flip flops.

After brushing through her hair, she ate some cereal before taking her prenatal vitamin. A few minutes after nine, she heard a knock on the front door.

She opened the door and saw a smiling Burt and Carole standing there.

"Good morning," Rachel said, pulling them both in for a hug.

"Finn did mention that you were a morning person," Burt chuckled.

"He was right. Come on in," she said, smiling. Carole and Burt walked into the apartment and looked around.

"I've never seen it this clean," Carole commented.

"Finn's messy and I'm somewhat of a neat freak. It balances out," Rachel said. "I just have some dishes to do before we leave. You can help yourself to the television or whatever you want."

"I didn't catch the end of SportsCenter," Burt said with a shrug.

"Looks like I'm watching sports again," Carole moaned.

"I won't take too long," Rachel said with a smile.

Once she was done with the dishes, she brushed her teeth and used the bathroom before leaving for the doctor's office with Carole and Burt.  
"That walk's not so easy anymore," Rachel said with a giggle. She was finally in the ultrasound room. Carole was sitting in the chair next to her and Burt was across the room in another chair.

"We can take a taxi back if you want, honey," Carole said.

"I appreciate that, but it's fine. I need the exercise, honestly," Rachel said.

Just then, the door opened and John the ultrasound technician walked in.

"Hello, Rachel," he said with a smile.

"Hi, John," she said. "This is Carole and that's Burt. They're Finn's parents and the baby's grandparents."

"It's nice to meet the both of you," John said before shaking both of their hands. "Now, ready to see how much your little one has grown?"

"Absolutely," Rachel said happily. Carole pulled her phone out of her purse and pressed record.

Rachel pulled her dress up, happy that she remembered to wear shorts under it. She could hear Carole squealing in excitement from next to her.

John turned the machine on before pressing the gel onto Rachel's stomach and spreading it around. He then placed the probe onto her belly and looked for the baby.

"You recording this, Carole?" Burt asked with his eyes glued on the screen.

"Yes, Burt," Carole sighed, making Rachel laugh.

"There he is," John said. Rachel smiled widely as she saw her son again. He was definitely bigger than last time and he was moving a lot more, too. "And we'll play the heartbeat…" John said. He pressed a few buttons and they could hear Chris's frantic little heartbeat filling the room.

Carole sniffled loudly, making Rachel cry. Rachel looked over at Burt and could see that he was holding back tears as well.

John checked his length and weight, telling them that he was a bit longer and heavier than usual. "He takes after his grandpas Hiram and Leroy then," Rachel said with a watery smile. John checked a few more things before freezing the image of Chris.

"Your doctor will be in soon, Rachel," John said with a smile.

"Thank you," Rachel said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"It was nice meeting the both of you," he said to Carole and Burt before leaving the room.

Carole turned the camera on Rachel. "Have anything to say to Finn?" she asked.

"Chris and I love you so much and we can't wait for you to get home," she said with a smile. "And Burt almost cried!" she said quickly, making Carole laugh.

"What about Uncle Kurt and Uncle Blaine?" Carole said from behind the camera.

"We all love and miss you and can't wait to see you again!" Carole then stopped recording and sent the video to Finn and Kurt.

"How you doing, grandpa?" Rachel asked, looking over at Burt.

"Pretty damn happy right now," he said with a chuckle. Carole got up and helped Rachel wipe the gel from her stomach and sit back up.

"What about you, grandma?" Rachel asked.

"I couldn't be happier," she said before kissing Rachel's forehead.

-glee-glee-glee-

They were walking back toward the apartment after stopping for an early lunch. Finn had texted that he was in a meeting but that he would call later. Kurt called while they were eating and talked to Rachel, almost making her cry. Blaine was in class, but Kurt swore that he would show him the video when he got home.

Rachel found the walk to be easier when it was broken up into segments. She was happy, holding onto Carole's arm with the sunshine on her face. Chris was kicking, making her smile widely.

Then, she was bumped into. Rachel looked up and saw the last person that she wanted to see.

"Jesse?" she said, sounding shocked.

"Wow. Rachel Berry," he said, sounding as arrogant as ever. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"More like you hoped you'd never see me again," Rachel replied.

"Rachel, who's this?" Carole asked from next to her.

"This is Jesse. The baby's sperm donor," she said with a glare at Jesse.

Carole looked behind her to Burt, who was starting to look angry. "We'll give you two a moment," she said, letting go of Rachel's arm and leading Burt away from Rachel and Jesse.

Jesse looked down at Rachel's stomach. "Looks like you weren't kidding about being knocked up," he said with a sneer.

"Yes, because that's something that people joke about," Rachel replied.

"You're meaner than before. Looks like those pregnancy hormones aren't helping you much," he surmised.

"You're wrong. I'm only being mean to you because you ruined my life," Rachel said.

"That's no way to talk about our child, Rachel," he said with a chuckle.

"This is not your child, Jesse. As far as I'm concerned, he's only mine. And Finn's," she corrected. "And you ruined my career. I don't regret my child for a second."

"Who's Finn?" Jesse asked. He then looked toward Carole and Burt, who were looking toward Rachel with worry. "I get it. As soon as I dumped your sorry ass, you went along and found someone else to feel sorry for you."

"Finn and I love each other," Rachel said strongly.

"Call it whatever you want. Do you sleep with him to let him stay with you? That is what you do, after all," Jesse said with a smirk. Rachel raised her hand and slapped him across the face.

"I pray to God that this child is _nothing_ like your disgusting ass," she spat at him. She then turned away from him and started walking away from him, toward Carole and Burt.

"Who's to say the dumb bastard's even mine, you stupid slut!" Jesse shouted. Rachel turned on him and was about to pummel him into the ground when Carole grabbed her arm. _No one_ was allowed to talk about her child like that.

Burt stepped up and stood in front of Rachel. "I suggest you walk away right now before I got to jail for murder," he practically growled at Jesse. Jesse rolled his eyes before walking away.

Burt turned to Rachel. He could see that she was shaking with anger and sadness. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"No. I want to kill him," Rachel growled.

"Calm down, mama bear," Burt said. "Let's get you home."

-glee-glee-glee-

As soon as they got back to the apartment, the tears started falling. Rachel wasn't quite sure why she was crying. Sure, the words hurt, but she knew that they weren't true. But that didn't make it hurt any less. Burt sat in the recliner while Carole sat on the couch. Rachel laid on the pillow that was in Carole's lap. After crying for half an hour, Rachel fell asleep.

When Finn got home around four that afternoon, he was surprised to see Rachel sleeping on the couch. Burt took him into the kitchen.

"She ran into the baby's dad," Burt explained.

"What?" Finn said, sounding surprised. "Did something happen?"

"I almost went to jail for murder, that's what happened," Burt grumbled.

"What the hell did he do?" Finn demanded.

"Me and your mom didn't hear what he said first, but she slapped him and then when she was walking away, he called the baby a dumb bastard and called her a slut," Burt explained, the anger coming back in full force. "Both me and Rachel were close to killing him."

Finn leaned against the counter and exhaled deeply, trying to calm himself.

"How is she?" Finn asked, his voice filled with concern.

"She cried for a while. I don't think it was over what he said," Burt commented.

"She told me before that she's just upset over Chris's father not wanting him," Finn explained. "Her parents pushed her away and it upsets her."

"That's what your mom guessed," Burt said. "What do we do?"

Finn shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'll talk to her, I guess. It's not like I can just make her pain go away," Finn said.

"That's one tough girl you've got," Burt surmised.

Finn smirked. "Yeah. She is," he replied.

Carole and Burt left soon after that, promising that they'd come sit with Rachel tomorrow while Finn was at work.

Finn sat on the end of the couch and ran his hands through Rachel's hair. She started stirring after a few minutes.

"Finn?" she murmured tiredly.

"It's me, babe," he replied quietly. Finn watched as she stretched before pulling herself up slowly into a sitting position.

"Hey you," she said, scooting closer to him with a small smile.

"Hey," Finn replied with a smirk. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him. His other hand settled on her stomach, rubbing it soothingly. "How was the doctor's appointment?"

Her hand rested on his. "Just fine," Rachel said. She turned and looked up at him with a smile. "They said that the baby's a bit bigger than average, so I don't think we have to worry about him being as tiny as me."

Finn smiled. "I saw the video. Did Burt really cry?" Finn asked.

"Almost," Rachel said with a giggle. "It was really very sweet." She reached up and kissed his jaw. "I missed you today."

"I missed you, too," Finn replied warmly. His hand was still rubbing her stomach. "I heard you had a rather interesting afternoon after the appointment." He watched as she frowned and looked away from him. "Burt already told me most of what happened, so we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"I just can't believe I ever thought I loved him," Rachel said quietly. "He was just _so_ cruel. And I'm not even worried about what he said to be because it's not true. But how could he say that about our baby?"

Finn swallowed. "I thought you weren't calling the baby his…" he said quietly.

Rachel turned quickly and looked at him. "Oh, Finn! I'm sorry I didn't clarify! I meant 'ours' as in mine and yours. Not mine and his," she explained.

"Oh," Finn said lamely, feeling better instantly.

"As far as I'm concerned, I self-conceived. You know, like those plants that can impregnate themselves," she said, making Finn laugh.

"That sounds kind of crazy, Rach," he said with a wide smile.

"It's already been well established that I'm a little nutty," she said with a giggle.

"Just a little," Finn agreed, kissing her on the forehead. "But are you really okay?"

Rachel thought for a moment. "I think so," she said. "I think I'm done crying. I don't want to stress out for the sake of the baby."

"You're already such an awesome mom," Finn complimented with a smile.

"And you're a fantastic dad," Rachel replied, her smile wide and perfect.

The both of them forgot all about Jesse St. Douchebag as they made love later that night.

-glee-glee-glee-

Carole and Burt spent the entire next day at the apartment with Rachel until Finn got home. It was their last night in the city and Rachel made her amazing lasagna for everyone.

"Rachel made this the first night she stayed here. Remember that, Rach?" Finn asked. She sat next to him at the breakfast nook and Carole and Burt sat across from her.

"Of course I remember," Rachel said with a smile.

"Well it's delicious," Carole commented.

"Thank you," Rachel replied. Everyone, especially Finn, had noticed that Rachel had been rather quiet during dinner. Burt and Carole had told Finn that she had also seemed a little off during the time they spent with her. And now, she was barely touching her food.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked her quietly after dinner was over. Carole was doing the dishes. For once, Rachel didn't protest against someone else doing them.

"I just haven't been feeling very well all day," Rachel admitted quietly.

"Mom and Burt aren't leaving on the train for a few more hours. Why don't you go take a nap?" Finn suggested.

Rachel smiled a little and nodded. She scooted off the bar stool and stood in front of Finn. "I love you," he said before kissing her forehead.

"We love you, too," Rachel replied with a smile. "Wake me up in enough time to see them off."

"I will," Finn promised. Finn watched as she slowly waddled toward the bedroom.

"Is she alright?" his mom asked moments later.

"She just doesn't feel well. I told her to go lie down," Finn said.

He and his mom both jumped when they heard a loud thud coming from the bedroom.

"Rach?" Finn shouted. "Did you drop something?"

They both listened and heard nothing. Finn shared a worried look with his mom before getting up off the chair and walking quickly toward the bedroom.

"Rachel!" he shouted. She was lying on the ground, motionless. He ran to her side and kneeled next to her. His hands cradled her cheeks. "Baby, open your eyes for me," he said comfortingly. He waited and nothing happened.

He looked up just as Burt and Carole came running into the room. "Call 911," he said desperately. His gaze returned to Rachel after Burt pulled his phone out of his pocket. Carole joined him on the ground at Rachel's other side. She grabbed her wrist.

"Her pulse is a little slow, Finn," Carole said worriedly.

"What could that mean?" Finn asked, looking to his mom like he was a little boy again.

"It could mean a number of things, sweetie," Carole said. They both continued murmuring to Rachel as Burt talked to the operator. Finn heard him say random things like "six months along" and "not responding," which only made Finn worry even more.

Finn reached one of his hands down and rubbed her stomach in slow circles like she loved him doing.

"Come on, Rach," Finn begged. "Wake up for me."

Less than five minutes later, Burt was letting the paramedics in. It was at a time like this that Finn was glad the hospital was just two blocks over.

Finn and Carole had to get out of the way as they did their job.

Finn watched as they brought a flashlight to her eyes.

"Pupil reflex looks good," one of the paramedics said.

"Is that a good thing?" Finn asked his mom.

"Yes, that's a good thing, Finn," his mom said.

"What's her name?" one of the paramedics said.  
"Rachel Berry," Finn replied automatically. They then tried what Finn had done, calling her name to get her to respond. Rachel still lie there.

They strapped her to a body board and told Finn that the elevator wasn't large enough, so they'd have to take the stairs.

"I'm coming with you. She's my girlfriend," Finn said firmly.

The paramedic nodded before they covered her in a blanket off of the bed.

"Call Kurt," Finn said as they walked toward the front door with Rachel in tow.

"We will," Carole said. "We'll be right behind you."

They both watched as a panicked Finn followed the paramedics out the door.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel opened her eyes slowly and was surprised to see that the bedroom was so bright. She blinked repeatedly before her eyes focused. Then, she realized that she wasn't at home anymore.

"Rach?" she heard coming from her left. She turned her head and saw Finn sitting there, holding her hand. He looked deeply concerned.

"Finn? What happened?" she asked, sitting up a bit.

"Baby, you passed out in the bedroom," Finn replied, squeezing her left hand. Rachel's hand immediately went to her stomach.

"Is Chris okay?" she asked in a panic.

"He's fine," Finn said with a tight smile. "It's you we've been worried about."

"What's wrong with me?" she asked. "I remember not feeling well, but it wasn't that bad…"

"The doctor said it was low blood pressure. He said it happens with pregnant women. Especially ones as small as you. It's just that the baby's taking a lot out of you," Finn said.

"I felt fine until earlier," Rachel said. "Just tired."

"I know," Finn said. "They think that it might get worse as the baby gets bigger."

"What do we do about it? Medication?" she asked.

Finn sat forward. "He said medication is the last resort. For now, he just wants you to stay off your feet as much as possible," Finn said.

"But there's laundry and dishes and cleaning to do," she said, frowning.

"He said you can do those things, just take breaks and let yourself rest more. And no more walking to the store or anything. We're taking cabs from now on," Finn said.

Rachel nodded. "Fine," she said. She then lay on her side and looked at Finn. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm not gonna lie, you scared the shit out of me, Rach," he said, chuckling uneasily.

"But I'm okay now. Why do you still seem so upset?"

"It's kinda my fault, Rach. I mean, I don't help you around the apartment that much or anything," he said, looking down. "If I had just done more and let you rest, you wouldn't be here right now."

"Finn, this isn't your fault. I don't want you thinking that for a second," she said firmly. He looked back up at her. "This is no one's fault, really. I would have done less housework if I knew that it wasn't good for the baby. But I didn't know. Today was the first day that I ever really felt exhausted. But don't think that it's your fault. You do so much for me and I really don't mind doing housework. I don't mean to insult any feminists, but it doesn't bother me to cook or clean. I know how hard you work to support our little family, so I'm glad to have a hot meal ready for you when you come home. We just might have to eat out more from now on," she said, making Finn smile.

"I'm just glad you're okay," Finn said before reaching forward to bring his lips to hers. She kissed him back firmly.

"Me, too," she said after he pulled away. "I forgot! Where are Carole and Burt?"

"Probably still in the waiting room," Finn said. "It took mom forever to convince Kurt to not book an emergency flight here." Finn laughed and Rachel smiled.

"Your brother is very sweet," she said.

"Burt said he's been a worry wart since he was a kid," Finn said, shrugging.

"When can I get out of here?" she asked.

"Soon. The doctor said he'd be back in a little while. And we're taking a cab home," Finn said, looking at her seriously.

"It's only two blocks!" Rachel said exasperatedly. She then saw nothing but concern written on Finn's face.

"But if it will make you feel better, we can take a cab," Rachel said serenely, making Finn smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

They did end up taking a cab back home. Finn even made Rachel take the elevator, making Rachel pout. She usually counted on the stairs providing her with some exercise. After arriving at the apartment, Finn made Rachel sit on the couch with her feet up while he and his mom finished cleaning the kitchen.

Burt and Carole soon said goodbye after that, which made Rachel cry.

"We'll be back before you know it," Carole whispered into Rachel's ear as they hugged. "And feel free to call me whenever you want. Even if you and Finn argue, I'll be there for you."

"Thank you," Rachel said tearfully.

"Don't mention it. We love you, Rachel," Carole said more loudly as they separated. Burt said goodbye next after making Rachel promise that he could take Chris to his first baseball game.

"We'll miss you, kiddo," Burt said. "And take care of my grandson. If Finn tells you to stop cleaning, sit your ass down," he chuckled, making Rachel laugh.

"I promise that I will," Rachel said.

Rachel wiped her eyes as Finn walked them to the door. He was back minutes later after saying goodbye. They sat on the couch with their hands intertwined, watching some comedy show on television.

Not too much longer later, a frantic Kurt called. He didn't calm down until Rachel swore she was fine about seven times. He even demanded to talk to Finn and made Finn promise that Rachel was really okay. Rachel started yawning while talking to Kurt, so he told her to get to sleep and that he would call her tomorrow.

After hanging up the phone, Finn heard Rachel start to sniffle.

"Babe, what's wrong?" Finn asked. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and a smile on her face.

"Nothing's wrong. I just haven't had a family in so long. I forgot how it feels to have people genuinely care about you," she said, snuggling closer into Finn's side. She turned back to the television as Finn smiled widely. He kissed her on the forehead and held her closely to his body.

Fifteen minutes later, Rachel was asleep. Finn carried her into the bedroom before singing to her stomach like he did every night after she fell asleep. He kissed her stomach and her cheek before wrapping his arms around her and holding her as he fell asleep.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: More fluff and a little pinch of drama coming up‼ Happy reading :)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Writer's block is really a pain in the a**, but I'm really glad that you guys seem to be enjoying this story so far! I really appreciate every single review and favorite story alert that I get! Here's the next chapter! And I still don't own anything.

Helping the Helpless: Chapter Seven

It was the middle of May and Rachel Berry was more than seven months pregnant. And her child just happened to be larger than average and was still growing. Because of this, Rachel was forced to stay off of her feet as often as possible.

Needless to say, Rachel was rather annoyed. She enjoyed being able to walk around and actually _do_ something, but now she couldn't. She was pretty sure that the couch now had a permanent indent from her sitting there all the time.

Finn walked into the apartment after a long day at work.

"Babe, I'm home!" he shouted before taking his jacket off and hanging it up by the door. He walked into the living room just in time to see Rachel carrying a basket full of laundry.

"Hey," she said, walking up to him. He bent down and kissed her with a smile.

"Want me to take that?" he said, holding his hands out for the laundry basket.

"I've got it, Finn," Rachel insisted, carrying the basket over to the couch.

"But the doctor said-"

"I know what the doctor said," Rachel huffed, interrupting him. "I'm fine."

She then reached down and started picking out the clothes, folding them.

Finn could tell that she was tense and a little cranky, so he walked over toward the couch and stood behind it before starting to rub her shoulders. "Sorry, babe. I just want you to be careful," Finn murmured before reaching down and kissing her on top of the head.

"I know," Rachel sighed. "Sorry I snapped. It's just that I'm bored sitting here all day, every day. I've already watched every single episode from my favorite shows and I've re-read all of my favorite books."

"But the baby will be here soon and you won't be able to say you're bored anymore," Finn said with a smile.

Rachel laughed. "You're right about that," she said. She bent back and looked up at Finn with a smile. He smirked before reaching down and kissing her again. "Dinner's in the oven," she said, returning to folding the laundry.

"Smells good," Finn said with a smile. "I'm gonna go change." He tossed his keys and phone on the table next to Rachel before going into the bedroom.

Less than a minute later, she heard Finn's phone chime, signaling that he just received a text message. Rachel smiled, wondering if it was Kurt. He and Finn had been planning her baby shower and Rachel was dying to know the details, but they were keeping everything to themselves.

She picked up Finn's phone and opened the message.

_Thanks for lunch today. I had an amazing time. See you again soon! _Rachel then looked at the top of the message to see who the sender was.

Her heart broke when she saw that it was Quinn. Rachel put the phone back on the table and put the shirt she was about to fold back in the basket.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

Rachel then stood up slowly, trying to maintain her balance. She then walked over to the breakfast nook and grabbed her purse before walking out the door.

She took the elevator downstairs before going to the one place that she knew would help her stay calm – Central Park. On her way, she pulled out her cell phone and called the one person she could count on.

"Kurt?" Rachel said once he answered.

"Is something wrong? Is the baby coming?" he asked, hearing the hurt in her voice.

"No! No, it's nothing like that. The baby's fine," she said, still trying to stay calm.

"Then what's wrong, diva? You sound upset," Kurt replied.

"Finn's been seeing Quinn again," she choked out.

"Are you serious?" Kurt asked in a flat voice.

"Yes. I saw his phone. She sent him a message saying something about thank you for lunch again and see you again," Rachel said quietly.

"Rachel…"

"Why wouldn't he tell me he was seeing her again, Kurt? What does he have to hide?" Rachel asked slightly hysterically.

"I don't know," Kurt said. A car horn honked loudly, making Rachel jump. "Rachel Berry, are you walking around the city?" Kurt asked in his bossy voice.

"I needed to get out of the apartment, Kurt. I'll be fine," she said, rolling her eyes.

"You're supposed to stay off of your feet, Rachel. Think about the baby," Kurt said.

"I am thinking about my baby, Kurt. That's why I left. I can't just stay with someone that's going to keep things from me," Rachel said. "Especially about the fact that he's hanging out with his ex! You know, the person he was in love with at one point?"

"But he loves you now, Rachel," Kurt said soothingly. "Both you and the baby."

"We told each other that we'd never keep secrets, Kurt," Rachel said. "I just need some time to think."

"You better sit down as soon as you can," Kurt said. "Where are you?"

"What, so you can tell Finn?" she asked.

Kurt was quiet for a second. "No," he said uneasily.

"I know you're lying," Rachel accused. "Kurt, I am twenty one years old and I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I'll go back when I want to and not before then."

"Finn's probably freaking out right now," Kurt complained.

"Well, you can call him and tell him that I'm fine," Rachel said. "That's all he needs to know."

"Just… be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you or my little nephew," Kurt said.

"We'll be fine," Rachel insisted. "Thanks for talking to me."

"Anytime, diva," Kurt said. "If you need me, don't hesitate to call."

"Talk to you soon," Rachel said. She then hung up her phone. Seconds later, it started ringing. She saw that the call was from Finn. She hit the ignore button before putting her phone on silent and slipping it back in her purse.

-glee-glee-glee-

"God damn it!" Finn shouted after Rachel's phone went to voicemail the third time in a row.

_He had walked out of the bedroom and saw that Rachel wasn't sitting on the couch anymore. The laundry was still there, untouched. He walked into the kitchen, but Rachel wasn't in there. After realizing that Rachel wasn't in the apartment, he picked up his phone to call her. That was when he noticed that a message from Quinn was open on his phone. "Shit," he murmured._ _Finn then dialed Rachel's number. After one ring, it went to voicemail. He knew that meant that she had rejected the call_.

Finn jumped a little when his phone started ringing. He looked down, hoping it was Rachel. He frowned when he saw that it was Kurt.

"What do you want, Kurt? I'm kind of in the middle of something," Finn said impatiently.

"Would you care to explain why you've been talking to Quinn Fabray again without telling your girlfriend you were doing so?" Kurt said, reminding Finn of his mom when she was pissed at him.

"It's not a big deal, Kurt. I just went with her to lunch a few times to catch up. Do you remember what she did to me, man? I wouldn't do _anything_ with her," Finn said. Then, a thought popped into his head. "Wait, you talked to Rachel, didn't you?"

"Maybe I did," Kurt said.

"Where did she go? She's not supposed to be on her feet too much," Finn said worriedly.

"She told me to tell you that she's fine, but she wouldn't tell me where she was headed," Kurt replied. "You do know you've stepped in some deep crap, right?"

"It didn't mean anything, Kurt," Finn insisted. "It was just two friends catching up."

"If it was no big deal, then why wouldn't you tell Rachel about it when you first started talking to Quinn again?" Kurt asked.

"Because I knew she would get upset," Finn said lowly.

"Of course she would! You're talking to a woman that you used to be in love with, Finn. Rachel's extremely insecure and hormonal right now! Not to mention that everyone that was ever important to her has left her in some way or another. It only makes sense that she'd fear you'd do the same thing to her," Kurt explained. "But I'm certain that she's mostly upset with you because you weren't honest with her."

"I fucked up," Finn moaned.

"I don't appreciate the crass language, but yes, you did," Kurt agreed.

"What do I do?" Finn asked in a quiet voice.

"Get down on your knees and beg her to forgive your lapse of judgment," Kurt suggested.

"I really didn't do anything with Quinn. I swear. I love Rachel," Finn said firmly.

"I know that. So does she," Kurt said. "Just remind her that you're not going anywhere. And if you ever do leave her, I will kill you myself."

"I'm not _that _stupid," Finn replied.

"That's debatable," Kurt replied with a snort.

"I've gotta go, Kurt," Finn said. "I have a pregnant girlfriend to find."

"Don't forget to beg for forgiveness," Kurt said. Finn rolled his eyes before hanging up on him.

Finn then paced back and forth for a long minute, trying to think of where Rachel would go. Then, it hit him.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel sat on the bench in Central Park; she walked as far as she could without getting tired. She felt fine as she sat there, one hand rubbing her stomach soothingly. She watched the people walking past her. Some were with their kids, which made Rachel smile. Others were walking with their boyfriends or girlfriends, sometimes with their hands interlocking. Those couples just reminded Rachel why she left the apartment in the first place.

It was pretty warm outside, but thankfully, Rachel had a flowing summer dress and flip flops on, so she wasn't anywhere near overheated. She did know that she'd have to pee soon and she considered stopping at a restaurant and grabbing a bagel or something to use the bathroom.

She figured that she'd been sitting in the park for half an hour when a tall person caught her attention. She looked up quickly and huffed when she realized that it was Finn. He only looked concerned as he walked toward her. Rachel turned her attention back to a tree right across from her.

"There you are," Finn said as he walked closer, sounding relieved.

"Here I am," Rachel said nonchalantly. Finn sat next to her on the bench.

"I was worried about you," he said, placing a hand on her leg and rubbing it affectionately.

"_Now_ you're worried about me? Great timing," Rachel said sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn asked, sounding hurt.

"You're worried about me _now_, but you weren't worried about how hurt I'd be after finding out that you didn't tell me that you were seeing Quinn again," Rachel replied.

"Rach, I swear to you, it was just two friends catching up. It didn't mean anything," he insisted.  
"Then why didn't you tell me you were talking to her again?" Rachel asked, glancing at him before looking forward again.

"I knew you'd be upset," Finn replied quietly.

"So you decided to hide it from me? Keeping the truth from someone isn't being honest, Finn. And we _promised_ that we'd always be honest with one another," Rachel said.

"Rachel, you know that I love you. And after meeting you, I could never fall in love with someone else ever again," Finn said. "Talking to Quinn means nothing. She's happy with the baby's dad anyway. We decided that us breaking up was actually a good thing. We're _both_ happy now."

Rachel sat there quietly for a moment. "I've just been waiting for you to want nothing to do with me anymore. You talking to her scared me, I guess," Rachel said with a shrug.

Finn quickly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. After a moment, she relaxed into him. "Rachel Berry, I am absolutely crazy about you. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me not want to be with you anymore," he said firmly. "And I'm sorry about not telling you about Quinn."

Rachel sat back up and Finn let her go. "I'll forgive you if you promise that you'll never keep anything from me ever again. Even if it's something stupid like my vegan brownies are actually gross or something," Rachel said, making Finn smile.

"I promise that I will always be honest with you from now on," Finn said firmly.

"Good," Rachel said with a smile. "Now, do I have a double chin?" she asked seriously.

Finn rolled his eyes. "Not even a little bit," he replied. Rachel smiled more widely before grabbing his shirt and pulling him closer for a kiss.

"Ready to go home?" Finn asked.

"Can we stop somewhere first? I have to pee," Rachel replied.

"Yeah," Finn laughed. He got up and helped Rachel to her feet. They then held hands as they slowly walked through Central Park.

JUNE 16TH

THE BABY SHOWER

"Are you sure that waiting this long for the baby shower was a good idea?" Finn asked Kurt as they hung up green streamers in the apartment.

"Of course. Why?" Kurt asked.

"Rachel's about to pop, dude. We've got a little more than two weeks until Chris is here."

"It'll be fine, Finn," Kurt insisted. "Where did Carole take her?"

"To some vegan friendly bakery a few blocks away," Finn said. "Rachel was pretty excited about it."

"Of course she was," Kurt laughed. "They took a cab, didn't they?"

"Yes, Kurt. We know what we're doing, okay? I'm not gonna do anything that'll make Rachel go into labor," Finn said, rolling his eyes.

"And you're sure she doesn't know the party's today?" Kurt said.

"I'm positive," Finn replied. "She thinks it's tomorrow. I mean, that's when you told her you and Blaine would be in town."

"You didn't order the cake for the baby shower from the same place that Rachel and Carole went to, did you?" Kurt asked abruptly.

Finn glared at him. "Do you really think I'm that dumb?" Finn asked.

"No comment," Kurt replied quickly, earning a weak punch from Finn.

"Kurt, where do you want this?" Blaine asked, holding up a blue elephant stuffed animal. "And why does it have a marker?"

"It's for everyone to sign. And you can put it on the breakfast nook. We'll put the cake next to it," Kurt replied. Blaine nodded and walked out of the living room. "Now, when is your friend Sam going to be here with the cake?"

Finn looked toward the television at the clock. "Any minute now," Finn replied. "You told mom to call when they're on their way, right?"

"Of course, Finn," Kurt replied. He hung of the last streamer with another small piece of tape. "There. I think we're finished." They both stepped back and looked at the job they had done. There were green streamers everywhere. The coffee table was covered in a tablecloth that had zoo animals on it; the same kind of tablecloth covered the breakfast nook. A huge sign saying "Baby Shower" was on the wall along with more zoo animals.

Kurt and Finn both looked toward the door when they heard a knock. "That's probably Sam," Finn said to Kurt. "Can you get that, Blaine?" Finn shouted. He then heard the door open as he walked toward it. He turned the corner and saw Sam standing there with the cake in his hands.

"Burt's right behind me, carrying in a present," he said, stepping into the apartment.

"Thanks for picking up the cake, man," Finn said, grabbing it from Sam and setting it next to that elephant stuffed animal on the breakfast nook.

"No problem," Sam said. "And sorry Mercedes couldn't make it. Her summer classes started this week and she couldn't miss 'em."

"I'm sure Rachel will be surprised and happy enough with just us here," Kurt replied. "I'm Finn's brother, Kurt. Nice to meet you." Kurt held out his hand, which Sam shook with a smile.

"I'm Sam," he replied.

"This is my boyfriend, Blaine," Kurt said, ushering Blaine forward. Blaine and Sam shook hands as well.

"Watch out," they heard Burt say as he rounded the corner with a large gift wrapped in green and blue wrapping paper with bottles on it.

"That's the playpen thing, right?" Finn asked.

"Yup," Sam said. "The other small things are still in the car. I'll go grab 'em." He then walked back out the open door.

"I don't think you and Rachel will need to buy anything else," Kurt said. "From what I can remember Carole and my dad saying they bought, I'm sure that Chris will have everything he needs."

Finn smiled. "And we really appreciate it," Finn said.

A few minutes later, Sam was back with the rest of the gifts. "Mercedes went to town at the store," he laughed. All of the gifts were in a rather large pile in the living room.

Finn's phone then rang in his pocket. He grabbed it and was glad to see that his mom was calling.

"Hey, mom," he answered. "Are you on your way back already?"

"Yes we are. Rachel's stomach's feeling a little upset, so we're just bringing a little something back to your place with us," Carole replied. "We're already in the cab and should be back in just a few minutes."

"Well, we're ready for you," Finn replied with a smile.

"We'll see you in a few minutes then," Carole said before hanging up.

"They're on their way," Finn said, sliding his phone back in his pocket.

Kurt squealed in excitement before running over to the cake. He took the lid off before taking it into the kitchen. "Where are the plates?" he yelled to no one in particular.

"By the microwave," Burt shouted back. "That's where you told me to put them."

Kurt came back out with the zoo animal plates and green plastic silverware.

"The drinks are in the refrigerator. The cups are by the sink. I think everything's ready," Kurt said to himself.

"Dude, chill," Finn said with a laugh.

"I am chill. I just want everything to be perfect," Kurt replied.

"I'm sure Rachel will love it either way," Blaine said serenely.

They all decided to just wait by the front door and surprise her.

"What if everyone yelling at her scares her and makes the baby come early?" Sam asked uneasily.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. "We just won't shout then," Kurt decided.

-glee-glee-glee-

Rachel moaned in the elevator with her hand on her stomach.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Carole asked. Rachel nodded with a small smile.

"It's just my stomach. I'll be fine," she replied. She adjusted the yellow dress she was wearing before taking a deep breath. She'd be okay.

The elevator came to a stop at their floor and Carole followed Rachel out of it. Carole's smile grew as they came closer and closer to Rachel and Finn's apartment, knowing what was waiting for her. Rachel was completely unaware.

She walked up to her and Finn's door and opened it. She jumped just a little when everyone said surprise in unison. She then smiled widely at the sight of her favorite people standing there.

"What in the world is going on here?" she asked with a smile.

"It's your baby shower!" Kurt squealed. "We thought we'd surprise you."

"Mission accomplished. I didn't see this coming at all!" she stepped into the apartment and looked around at the streamers. She then spotted the cake on the breakfast nook, next to an adorable stuffed elephant. The cake said "Congrats Finn and Rachel" and had a little tiger, elephant, and giraffe on it. Carole stepped in the apartment behind her and closed the door with a wide smile.

"This is so sweet!" Rachel said, looking from the cake to the group of boys in front of her. "Time for hugs," she said, holding her arms out to Blaine, who was closest.

She hugged everyone, keeping Finn for last. "Thank you, Finn," she said, hugging him tightly.

Finn chuckled before kissing her on top of the head. "You're welcome, Rach. I know it's not much, but-"

"This is perfect," she said firmly.

They all ushered her into the living room. Kurt turned the radio on lightly in the background and then everyone simply enjoyed one another's company.

After a while, Kurt announced that it was time for presents. Rachel sat on the couch with Finn at her side. Kurt was standing there, camera at the ready. She smiled and took a picture with every single gift she received.

Baby Chris was one lucky kid. His family had gotten him a stroller, car seat, playpen, baby-sized bathtub, and more outfits than anyone could imagine. Carole and Burt were responsible for the more practical gifts, such as cotton swabs specifically for babies, cream for diaper rashes, a thermometer, a brush to wash the bottles, and so many other things that Rachel would have forgotten to even ask for.

"Thank all of you for everything," she said, looking around the room at her family. "I'm so happy that Chris will be born with such amazing people surrounding him."

"Stop before you make me cry!" Carole complained, fanning her face to keep the tears at bay.

"I second that," Kurt agreed.

They then ate the cake, which Rachel was surprised to learn was vegan. Finn brought her piece of cake to her before sitting next to her. "This has been perfect," Rachel said, scooting closer to him.

"I'm glad to see you so happy," Finn said with a smile. He then ate his piece of cake faster than everyone else at theirs. Rachel only took two bites before placing a hand on her stomach. It had been bothering her all day, but she was starting to feel sharper pain.

"Finn, can you help me up?" she asked.

"Of course," Finn said, setting his and Rachel's plates down. "Bathroom again?" he asked as he gently pulled her to her feet.

Rachel smiled and nodded. "I'll be right back," she said to everyone before waddling to the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door was closed, she walked over to the sink and grabbed the sides of it with both hands. The pressure in her lower stomach was building and she let out a low moan. It was starting to get even more painful. She squeezed the sink as a sharp pain ran through her core. She tried breathing deeply, but the pain almost brought tears to her eyes.

Rachel then gasped in surprise and looked down as she felt a liquid trickling down her legs. For a second, she thought she wet herself, but it was too clear for that.

"Oh my God," she whispered. She reached for a rag next to the sink and reached down to wipe her legs as best as she could. She straightened back up just as another surge of pain made her groan loudly.

Rachel Berry was in labor.

"Finn!" she shouted as loudly as she could. She waited three seconds before deciding that he wasn't coming fast enough. "Finn!" she shouted louder than before.

Ten seconds later, the bathroom door burst open.  
"Babe, what is it?" Finn asked, looking at her in worry. Then, he looked down. There was a puddle on the floor.

"The baby's coming," Rachel gasped.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: There will probably be one more chapter. Let me know if you want an epilogue‼! Please leave reviews :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Here comes the baby! Thank you for reading, guys! And I still don't own anything…

Helping the Helpless: Chapter Eight

_As soon as the bathroom door was closed, she walked over to the sink and grabbed the sides of it with both hands. The pressure in her lower stomach was building and she let out a low moan. It was starting to get even more painful. She squeezed the sink as a sharp pain ran through her core. She tried breathing deeply, but the pain almost brought tears to her eyes. _

_Rachel then gasped in surprise and looked down as she felt a liquid trickling down her legs. For a second, she thought she wet herself, but it was too clear for that. _

"_Oh my God," she whispered. She reached for a rag next to the sink and reached down to wipe her legs as best as she could. She straightened back up just as another surge of pain made her groan loudly. _

_Rachel Berry was in labor. _

"_Finn!" she shouted as loudly as she could. She waited three seconds before deciding that he wasn't coming fast enough. "Finn!" she shouted louder than before. _

_Ten seconds later, the bathroom door burst open.  
"Babe, what is it?" Finn asked, looking at her in worry. Then, he looked down. There was a puddle on the floor. _

"_The baby's coming," Rachel gasped. _

Finn looked back up to her quickly. "Wh-what do I do?"

"Get your mom," she said, nodding. Instead of leaving Rachel's side, Finn shouted.

"Mom! We need you in here!" Rachel stepped toward him and he reached out to grab her arm, helping her to walk out of the bedroom.

"Finn, sweetie? What's wrong?" Carole asked. Finn looked up to see everyone else follow her into their bedroom.

"Rachel's water broke," Finn replied, starting to panic.

Everyone then started talking at once. "Everyone, quiet!" Carole demanded in a firm voice. "We need to stay calm for Rachel, okay?" She looked around and everyone had shut up rather quickly. She turned back to Rachel. "Tell me what's happening, sweetie."

"I think I've had two contractions," she replied steadily. "One before and one after my water broke."

"Tell me when you feel another one coming, okay?" Carole asked. Rachel nodded. "Now, I need everyone besides Finn to step outside." No one, not even Kurt, argued with Carole.

Carole closed the door behind them. "Where do you keep your underwear, sweetie?" Carole asked.

"In the dresser. Top drawer," Rachel gasped.

She pulled her yellow dress up and grabbed the sides of her soaked underwear, pulling them down. Carole walked back over with another pair and handed them to Rachel.

"Can you help me, Finn?" Rachel asked. It would have been awkward for most people, but Finn was used to helping Rachel get dressed, so he had no problem with kneeling down and helping her put a clean pair of underwear on.

"What now?" Finn asked once he stood back up.

"We don't have to go to the hospital until the contractions are a bit closer. Just help her onto the bed and keep her comfortable for now," Carole said. Rachel walked over to the bed with Finn right at her side. He eased her onto the bed and she scooted in the middle.

"How are you feeling, babe?" Finn asked, sitting next to her.

"Like I'm in labor," Rachel laughed. Finn smirked before bringing his hand to her stomach. He then bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you," Finn murmured.

"Love you, too," Rachel replied with a smile before looking over at Carole. "You can let the others in now. Kurt's probably freaking out."

Carole walked to the door and opened it. She laughed a little when everyone was standing outside, waiting anxiously. Just as Kurt was walking forward, Rachel reached for Finn's hand on her stomach and squeezed it tightly.

"Oh! Ow! Holy crap!" she moaned, her whole body tensing.

"Mom, she's having another one," Finn said, looking down at Rachel. She had her eyes squeezed shut and was breathing deeply.

"Breathe through it, Rachel," Kurt said, walking over to the other side of the bed.

"What do you think she's doing, dude?" Finn replied, rolling his eyes.

"Can the both of you just shut up?" Rachel panted.

"Sorry," Finn and Kurt said at the same time.

"Tell me when it's over, Rachel," Carole said. Rachel nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut. After what felt like a lifetime later, Rachel opened her eyes back up and her breathing slowed down just a bit.

"It's over," she said, dropping her head back onto the pillow.

"That was three minutes," Carole said, looking at the clock on the wall. "Looks like you're going to have a quick labor, sweetie."

"Do you need us to do anything?" Sam asked from the doorway.

"Not right this second," Carole replied.

"Just go watch TV or something, guys. We'll let you know when we're leaving for the hospital," Rachel said from the bed.

"I'm sure as hell not leaving," Finn said from Rachel's side.

"Me neither," Kurt stated.

"Blaine, Burt, Sam, you guys really aren't missing anything," Rachel said. "Just go relax until things get crazy."

Sam nodded and walked out of the room, followed by Burt and Blaine.

"Can we turn some music on? It calms me down," Rachel asked, looking to Finn.

"Sure, babe," Finn said. He kissed her on the forehead and walked over to the dresser, turning his iPod on. Rachel smiled when "Defying Gravity" started playing.

"Really, Finn? I didn't know you were a fan of _Wicked_," Kurt said with a smile.

Finn rolled his eyes again. "Rachel put that on there," he explained. He then joined Rachel on the bed again, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly.

-glee-glee-glee-

"I don't want a natural birth anymore!" Rachel cried out as yet another contraction hit her.

"Sweetie, they're three minutes apart now. It might be too late for that," Carole said.

Rachel turned on her side and leaned into Finn. "It hurts so bad!" she cried, still trying to breathe deeply.

Finn wrapped an arm around her back and hugged her to him. "I know, baby. But you're doing so great," Finn said. "You're almost there."

"Sam's van's ready to go," Blaine said, popping his head into the bedroom.

"Does someone have the diaper bag?" Carole asked.

"I've got it," Burt replied from outside the bedroom.

Carole turned to Rachel. "As soon as this contraction's done, we're gonna go to the hospital. Okay, sweetie?" Carole asked.

Rachel was taking deep breaths, but she nodded into Finn's side.

It was a tense few minutes as Rachel tried to breathe through the pain.

"It's done," Rachel panted.

"Blaine, sweetie, go press the button for the elevator," Carole said. Blaine nodded before walking quickly out of the apartment.

Finn stood up and grabbed Rachel's hands, easing her off of the bed. He pulled her carefully to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked.

"Right this second, yes," Rachel replied with a smile. Finn wrapped and arm around Rachel's back and walked slowly with her out of the bedroom.

"We're gonna have a baby!" Kurt said excitedly as he followed Finn and Rachel.

"I'm pretty sure I'm the one squeezing a baby out, Kurt," Rachel said with a laugh.

"You know what I mean," Kurt replied. The elevator was waiting for them as they walked out to the hallway. Rachel leaned against Finn heavily.

"I'm so tired already," she mumbled. "I don't know if I can do this."

"Of course you can," Finn said firmly. "You're Rachel Berry. The strongest person I know." Rachel looked up at him and smiled widely.

Carole climbed into the passenger seat of Sam's van. Finn helped Rachel climb in before getting in himself. Blaine was driving his and Kurt's car with Burt and Kurt riding along.

When they were a block away from the hospital, Rachel held in a scream as another contraction came. Finn was pretty sure that Rachel was going to break a few of his fingers as she squeezed his hand tightly.

"Breathe, baby. You're doing great," Finn chanted over and over again. He leaned across the seat and kissed her forehead repeatedly while running his other hand through her hair. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Sam jumped out of the van and ran inside to get a wheelchair. He was back minutes later and Finn helped Rachel out of the van and into the wheelchair before pushing her into the hospital.

"My girlfriend's having a baby," Finn panted to a nurse at the front desk.

"How far apart are the contractions?" she asked in a businesslike manner.

"Two and a half minutes as of the last contraction," Carole said.

The nurse nodded. "And the name of your doctor?" the nurse asked.

"Dr. Stevenson," Finn said. He was glad that he remembered at least that much.

Less than five minutes later, after yet another contraction, Finn and Rachel were in their own room. He helped her into a hospital gown before helping her into the bed.

"You're not going anywhere, right?" Rachel asked, suddenly looking very vulnerable and worried.

Finn smiled before grabbing her hand and kissing the top of it. "You're never getting rid of me, Rach," he said. Rachel then visibly relaxed and settled into the pillows.

"You can tell Kurt and Carole to come in now," Rachel said.

"Kurt's really excited you're letting him stay in the room," Finn said with a smile.

"Are you sure Blaine won't mind sitting in the waiting room? I hate that I can only have three people in here," Rachel replied.

"Blaine understands, babe," Finn said. "I'll be right back, okay?" Rachel smiled and nodded.

Kurt, Carole, and Finn were only in the room for five minutes before the doctor came in. Finn had met the doctor twice before and thought she was a very nice lady.

The doctor put Rachel into the stirrups and looked at her vagina before inserting a couple of fingers, making Rachel jump a little.

"Sweetie, it feels like you're almost ready," the doctor said.

"Really?" Rachel asked, shocked. "I've only been in labor for two and a half hours!"

"Sounds like you're one of the lucky ones," the doctor replied with a laugh. "I'll tell the nurses to get everything ready. But first, you'll be feeling the baby come through the birth canal any minute now. That might make you want to push, but don't okay?" the doctor said. Rachel nodded vigorously.

The doctor then looked at Finn. "You'll want to wash your hands, okay? If you're going to be cutting the cord we'll need you as clean as possible," Dr. Stevenson said.

Finn smiled widely before practically jogging to the bathroom.

When he came back, Kurt was holding one of Rachel's hands while his mom was holding the other. He could tell that she was in so much pain. He knew at that moment that no one could match her strength.

The nurses were also in the room with a tray of some weird looking medical instruments next to them. Dr. Stevenson's hand was currently up Rachel's hospital gown. Finn went back to Rachel's side. Kurt let go of Rachel's hand so that Finn could take over. Finn shot him a grateful look. Kurt then stood behind the doctor, waiting to see the baby come into the world. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his cell phone.

"Kurt, you can take pictures of the baby, but if you take any pictures of my vagina, I will kill you," Rachel panted.

Kurt nodded before putting his phone back in his pocket. Finn laughed.

"Rachel, on the next contraction, I'm going to need you to push, okay?" the doctor asked.

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded. Finn reached his other hand up and brushed her bangs off her forehead before kissing her there.

"You can do this," he murmured to her. Rachel nodded again. "I love you," he said.

"I love you, too," she replied in a gasp. Half a minute later, her grip on Finn's hand got tighter and Finn knew it was time for her to push.

"Push for me, Rachel," the doctor said loudly. Rachel brought her chin into her chest and pushed with literally everything she had. She could feel her face getting red from the exertion. "Keep going!" the doctor said. Rachel paused and took another deep breath before pushing again.

Rachel collapsed back into the bed and struggled to catch her breath. "You're going to have to keep going, Rachel," the doctor said.

"Come on, baby. You can do this," Finn said to Rachel, squeezing her hand.

Rachel took another deep breath before bringing her chin into her chest again and leaning forward, pushing as hard as she could. The only thought running through her mind was that next time she had a kid, she'd get an epidural.

"I can see his head!" Kurt squealed a few moments later.

"Baby, you're almost there," Finn said, his excitement growing by the second.

"One more big push, Rachel, and your son will be here," the doctor said.

Rachel took a break for a few seconds before filling her lungs up to their capacity. She then pushed again, harder than she had before. This time, as she pushed, she couldn't hold in the scream. She felt the tears falling down her face as she pushed.

Everyone around her was shouting things, but she couldn't really hear what they were saying over her scream.

Then, the intense pressure she was feeling went away. Rachel collapsed back into the bed and opened her eyes. Finn was looking from between her legs and back to her face with a huge smile. He had tears in his eyes as well. Still trying to catch her breath, she smiled at him.

"Is he here?" she asked drowsily.

Finn didn't answer. He just surged forward and kissed her deeply. "He's perfect," Finn replied once their lips separated.

Rachel looked down in time to see the doctor holding up her son. Her _son_! He was finally here. It was then that Rachel started sobbing.

Finn was handed what looked like a pair of scissors. He cut the umbilical cord with biggest smile on his face. The doctor then placed Chris on her stomach before one of the nurses cleared his passageways. Then, Rachel heard the most beautiful sound in the world – her son's first cry.

His cry reverberated through the entire room. Rachel was laughing and crying at the same time. She reached up and softly stroked his cheek as he continued screaming. One of the nurses wrapped him in the blanket before picking him up and taking him away.

She looked up and saw both Kurt and Carole crying. Kurt had his phone out and had been taking pictures the entire time. Rachel really hoped that he got one of Finn cutting the cord.

"I'm so proud of you right now," Finn gushed. She looked at him and smiled widely. She reached up and wiped the tears from his eyes.

"I love you so much," Rachel cried.

"I love you, too," Finn replied. Finn bent over and kissed Rachel on the lips. At that very moment, Kurt snapped another picture.

-glee-glee-glee-

As soon as the afterbirth was expelled and Rachel was settled back in the bed again, one of the nurses brought back in their son.

"Little Chris here is ten pounds, 5 ounces, and 23 inches long, mommy," the nurse said. With a wide smile, Rachel took her son expertly into her arms.

"How the _hell_ did someone as tiny as you carry such a huge baby?" Kurt asked in amazement. Rachel covered one of Chris's ears gently.

"No cursing around our son," she reprimanded. Kurt looked from Finn to Rachel.

"She's right, dude," Finn agreed. "My son's first word isn't going to be a cuss word." Finn then looked down at Chris and smiled.

"That's right," Rachel said. "His first words going to be 'ma ma,'" she said with a wide smile.

"Yeah, right," Finn scoffed. "We'll see about that, Rach."

"It's not a competition," Carole said with a laugh.

"You better believe it is," Rachel replied with a laugh. She then returned her attention to her son, stroking his cheek softly with her finger. When she did that, he opened his eyes for a moment before shutting them quickly again.

"Did you see that?" Finn said, looking at Chris in wonder. "His eyes are brown. They're just like yours," Finn said, smiling at Rachel. Rachel returned the smile to Finn and then smiled down at Chris.

"I think it's time you said 'hello' to daddy, Chris," Rachel cooed.

Finn's face went blank. "Rach, I know he's bigger than most babies, but he's still really, _really_ small," Finn said, sounding worried. Rachel looked up at Finn.

"Finn, hold your son. It's more instinctual than you think. You'll be fine," she said with a serene smile. Finn took a deep breath before nodding. Rachel sat up and held Chris out. Finn reached out with his large hands, supporting Chris's head before bringing the other hand to cup his lower body. He then shifted slowly and carefully so that he was cradling Chris to his chest.

"See?" Rachel said, smiling up at Finn. "That was perfect." Finn smiled widely at Rachel before looking down at his son. Kurt snapped another picture.

As Finn stared at Chris, the baby started wiggling, freeing his hands from the blanket he was wrapped in.

"Looks like we've got a little squirmy worm," Carole cooed, smiling at the baby. Finn lowered his head to Chris and kissed him gently on the forehead.

"Hey there, little man," he said quietly. Just then, Chris lifted his hand, touching Finn's cheek.

"Kurt, take a picture," Carole hissed. Kurt obliged quickly.

"He knows who his daddy is," Rachel said with a smile. "He remembers your voice."

Finn smiled down at Chris. "Amazing," he said quietly.

-glee-glee-glee-

Once the doctor and nurses cleared out of the room, everyone else was allowed in again. Kurt was the next person to hold Chris after Finn. Of course, Finn made everyone sanitize their hands before touching his kid.

"I'm pretty sure being exposed to germs is good for a baby," Kurt said, rolling his eyes as he gently rocked the baby.

"Not an hour after he's born," Finn replied, rolling his eyes. He walked around to everyone, squirting hand sanitizer into their hands. Rachel couldn't help but smile and laugh at how protective Finn was being.

"It's been five minutes, Kurt," Carole said. "Let me see my grandson." With a huff, Kurt handed the baby to Carole.

As Chris was passed from person to person, both Kurt and Finn were taking _tons_ of pictures, getting excited every time he opened his mouth or his eyes or even moved his arms.

Rachel was more than exhausted, but she loved every moment of this experience.

The nurse shooed everyone out of the room a little while later except for Finn. It was time for Rachel to feed Chris for the first time.

He latched on right away, so the nurse left the room for a few minutes, telling Rachel that she would know when it was time to switch to the other nipple. Finn still had his phone out, but he was busy watching Rachel breastfeed their son.

"Finn, honey, please don't take any pictures of this," Rachel laughed.

"Why not?" Finn asked, setting his phone down. "It's not like I haven't seen your boobs before, Rach," he said with a grin.

"I know you've seen them before, but I'd rather not let other people see them," she replied with a smile.

"You're right," Finn said. "I wouldn't want to make anyone jealous of my sexy girlfriend."

Rachel laughed. "Finn, I just gave birth to a ten pound baby and I'm covered in sweat. I highly doubt that anyone would call me _sexy_ at this point in time," she replied.

Finn rolled his eyes. He then looked at Rachel with an unwavering gaze. "Rachel, you have never been more sexy, beautiful, or gorgeous than you are right now," Finn replied firmly.

Rachel smiled widely before Finn leaned forward for a kiss. He then leaned down and kissed his son on the forehead again.

When Chris was finished eating, Rachel let Finn burp him for the first time. Chris was lying on the left side of Finn's chest with his little head lying on Finn's shoulder comfortably.

"Just pat his back and then rub it in circles," Rachel coached. "You won't hurt him by patting too hard, Finn."

"Rach, my hand is bigger than his back," Finn said worriedly.

"Finn, trust me. You won't hurt him," Rachel replied. Finn then started patting his back a bit harder and rubbed his tiny back in small circles.

Moments later, Chris gave off an impressive belch.

"That's my son," Finn laughed, Rachel joining in.

"Well, I always believed that if you're going to burp, at least make it a good one," Rachel said, still giggling.

Finn smiled down at her. "I love you so much," he laughed.

TBC

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: I decided that this story _needs_ an epilogue. Please be patient with me and I'll write it as soon as I can. Reviews are always welcome :) And thanks so much for reading.


	9. A Note to the Readers

A note to the readers:

Thanks for everyone who is enjoying this story so far! I really appreciate your kind comments. However, I seem to have offended one reader with my inaccuracies pertaining to pregnancy. The reader pointed out that you can't determine the sex of a baby until around the fifth month. If this angered anyone else that I made this mistake, I apologize. I simply wrote what others had told me and I should have done more research on the topic. I would love to respond to the reader that posted this and apologize, but I can't since they disabled that or something, but I hope they see this note. I am going to tweak the story now and fix my mistake. The epilogue will be posted soon. Thank you all for reading. And again, criticism is always welcome as long as it is given _politely_.

Thanks for reading :)


	10. Epilogue

A/N: The response to this story has been incredible! From your comments in the reviews to those I received on Twitter, I have been blushing like crazy! You are all very kind and sweet. Here's the epilogue to our beloved story. I hope it's everything you've hoped for :)

Helping the Helpless: Epilogue

"Rach!" Finn yelled while holding his nose, making the nickname come out distorted. "Rach, come here!"

Rachel walked quickly to the bedroom to see Finn leaning over the bed, holding his nose while changing Chris's diaper. Their son was only one week old, but Rachel and Finn already had an agreement when it came to changing diapers. Rachel changed the diapers when Finn was working. When he came home, it was his turn.

"Finn, diapers are going to stink. You don't have to call me in here to smell it," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

"That's not it!" Finn protested, still holding his nose. "It's a funky color."

"Let me see," Rachel huffed, stepping closer. Finn pulled open the diaper, holding back a gag.

"God, my eyes are watering," Finn moaned.

"Finn, he's fine. The nurse said that his bowel movements would look like that for a while," Rachel said, holding in a laugh to his reaction.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked, folding the diaper back and cutting off the smell. Chris just laid there, moving his arms around.

"Yes, I'm sure," Rachel replied. She placed a hand on his shoulder before standing on her tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek. "But thank you for being such a concerned father."

"I'm about to be a dead dad. This stuff's freaking toxic," he moaned. Rachel laughed before walking out of the room. She turned the corner and went into the kitchen to continue the dishes that she had been doing.  
"Chris, I swear I love you, but I do not love the stuff that comes out of you," Rachel heard Finn coo to their son. It brought a smile to her face.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Finn! You do not give a drumstick to a four month old! He could hurt himself!" Rachel said from the couch. Finn was sitting with Chris at his drums, holding him tightly as he waved a drumstick in the air.

"Babe, he loves it! Look at him!" Finn laughed. Chris was waving the drumstick around in the air. "He wants to be like daddy," Finn said fondly.

"I doubt he even knows what he's holding right now, Finn," Rachel said with a smile.

"Yeah, right," Finn replied. "Chris is smart. He almost said 'dada' yesterday."

"He did not!" Rachel replied. "He's just cooing, Finn."

Finn ignored Rachel and leaned in to Chris. "Can you say 'mommy's a buzzkill'?" he whispered. Instead of replying, Christ swung the drumstick, cracking Finn in the forehead. Rachel's laugh reverberated through the whole apartment.

"And that's his way of saying be nice to mommy," Rachel laughed. Finn rubbed his forehead and scowled at Rachel.

-glee-glee-glee-

Five and a half month old Christopher Hudson laid on his parents bed. Finn and Rachel stood on either side of him, making funny faces.

"Say mama, Chris! Mama!" Rachel said with a smile.

"No, Chris, say dada! Dada!" Finn said over and over again.

"Finn, he's going to say mama," Rachel said, turning to Finn. "Most babies say mama for their first word."

"You totally just made that up," Finn accused. "And he's daddy's little man, so he's going to say 'dada' first."

"He's a mama's boy, Finn," Rachel insisted.

Finn huffed. "We'll finish this in a minute. I'm gonna get his bottle," Finn said, turning to leave the room.

"Baba," a tiny voice said. Finn whipped back around and stared at Chris. Rachel stood there with her mouth open. "Baba," Chris said again, reaching his hands out and grasping the air.

"Good job, Chris!" Rachel said, leaning closer to him. "Did you hear that, Finn?" she asked excitedly.

"I did," Finn said with a smile, walking back over to the bed. "Good job, buddy! I'm gonna get your baba!"

"Baba," Chris said again. Rachel smiled down at her son proudly.

Later that night, when Chris was sleeping soundly in his crib, Rachel and Finn snuggled together closely.

"Today was a big day," Rachel said with a smile. "He said his first word and almost held his bottle by himself."

Finn rubbed his hand up and down her back. "I know," Finn said. "I am a little bummed though."

"Why?" Rachel asked, craning her head to look up at Finn.

"Well, his first word… We totally got beat out by food, babe," Finn huffed. Rachel giggled quietly.

"Well, when he could still say 'mama' before 'dada,'" Rachel replied.

"Like that'll happen," Finn replied, rolling his eyes. Rachel slapped his chest playfully.

"You'll see," she replied with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Please tell me you're recording this!" Rachel said as she walked while leaning over, making sure the crawling baby wouldn't fall.

"I'm getting it!" Finn said excitedly. "Crawl to daddy, Chris," Finn said, holding one of his arms out.

Chris stopped for a second, looked up at the camera, and started crawling again. Before he could reach Finn, he fell on his stomach.

Finn switched off his camera and set the phone down before reaching forward and scooping up his son. "Good job, buddy!" he said, smiling down at Chris.

Rachel crouched down and clapped her hands. "Yay! You're such a big boy!" Finn grabbed Chris's tiny, chubby hands and clapped them together.

-glee-glee-glee-

Finn was working, so Rachel and Chris were alone in the apartment. Chris was sitting in his highchair, eating some cut up bananas.

Rachel was singing along with the radio while spreading icing on the cake she baked for Finn for Valentine's Day.

"Mama," Rachel heard from behind her.

"Yes, sweetie?" Rachel replied nonchalantly.

Then, she dropped the butter knife, causing icing to fly everywhere.

She turned to Chris, who, with a mouthful of squashed banana, murmured "mama" again.

Rachel squealed loudly and clapped her hands together while jumping up and down. Chris smiled widely at Rachel with banana covering his face. She jogged forward, bending down in front of his highchair.

"Can you say it again?" asked. "Say 'mama,' Chris. Mama!"

Chris made some nonsense noises before saying "mama" again. Rachel smiled and kissed Chris on the forehead before turning and grabbing her phone off of the counter. She quickly dialed Finn's number and held the phone to her ear, smiling widely. She frowned a little when it went to voicemail.

"Finn, I know you're busy but Chris just said 'mama'! Here, listen," she walked back over to Chris. "Tell daddy. Say 'mama.' Mama." Chris mumbled again. "You can do it, Chris. Say mama."

Chris opened his mouth and closed it again. "Mama," he eventually said. Rachel squealed and put the phone back up to her ear.

"I told you he said it!" she said excitedly. "We'll see you when you get home! Love you!"

Finn raced home that night and scooped Chris up as soon as he entered the house. "There's my little man," Finn said with a smile before kissing Chris's forehead.

"Did you get my message?" Rachel said excitedly, stretching up for Finn to plant a kiss on her lips.

"Sure did," Finn said. He then turned his attention to Chris. "But you were supposed to say 'dada' first, buddy! Can you say 'dada'?"

"Who is this, Chris?" Rachel asked, pointing to Finn's chest. "Who is this?"

"Mama," Chris said clearly, making Rachel laugh.

Finn chuckled. "We've got some work to do," he said with a smile.

-glee-glee-glee-

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. Finn and Rachel sat on the couch together while Chris crawled around the baby-proof apartment. Rachel read her magazine while turning to see what Chris was doing every couple of seconds. Finn was completely engrossed in the football game he was watching.

Rachel watched as Chris came back around the couch and toward her. He stopped crawling by the table and looked up at Rachel. She smiled at him and waved, fluttering her fingers playfully.

She returned her gaze to her magazine and didn't see Chris reach for the leg of the table. He grabbed onto it and started pulling himself upwards. Rachel's head snapped back to him. She then elbowed Finn in the side.

"Finn, he's standing," she said. Chris held onto the edge of the table and settled himself in a standing position.

"What?" Finn said, his eyes still on the TV.

"He's standing!" Rachel said, throwing her magazine to the side. Finn looked away from the TV and smiled widely when he saw Chris standing at the table. "Get your phone!" Rachel demanded. She scooted to the end of the couch and held her arms out in case Chris fell backward.

"Chris!" Finn called with his phone pointed at the ten month old. "Look at daddy, Chris," he said. Chris looked over at Finn just as Finn snapped a picture.

"Good job, baby!" Rachel cooed with a smile. Chris then surprised them by turning away from the table and taking a single step before he was leaning against the couch. "Look at you!" Rachel said excitedly. She heard Finn snap another picture. With his belly resting against the couch, Chris reached his hands up, opening and closing his fists.

"What do you want, baby?" Rachel asked, trying to get him to talk. "Tell mommy what you want." Chris shifted slightly so that he was facing Finn, still with his arms held out.

"Dada!" he shouted. Finn suddenly felt like crying like a girl. Sure, Chris had wanted him before, but that was the first time that Chris went to all that trouble just to get Finn's attention.

"Come here, buddy," Finn said, reaching over Rachel with his arms out. He grabbed Chris before pulling him into his chest in a hug. "I love you, little man."

Rachel leaned forward and kissed the back of Chris's head before running her hand through his dark brown hair.

"Jealous?" Finn said with a smirk, still hugging Chris.

"I'm too proud to be jealous," Rachel replied, trying her hardest not to cry.

-glee-glee-glee-

"I can't believe he's already one," Rachel said, shaking her head. Her and Finn were standing in the kitchen while the rest of Chris's birthday party guests were watching Chris crawl around the living room and stand on his own.

"Me neither," Finn agreed as he dried the dishes that Rachel was washing. "But watching him grow up's kinda cool, you know… I mean, watching him bang on those pots and pans earlier was awesome."

"He's just like his daddy," Rachel said, looking up at Finn with a smile, making Finn chuckle.

"It's awesome when he tries to sing with you, too," Finn said. "He doesn't know what he's trying to say, but he's got lungs."

"He does remind me of a younger me when he yells 'clap' at people after he does something," Rachel laughed.

"He's getting better with saying 'please' though," Finn added.

"We need to work on 'thank you' next. I didn't learn that one for a while," Rachel said with a smile. Finn chuckled again.

They both then turned their heads when they heard Chris shout "Mama!" and "Dada!"

"I think the dishes can wait," Rachel said, shutting off the sink.

"Totally," Finn replied. They both then raced one another into the living room, trying to be the first one to get to Chris.

-glee-glee-glee-

"Daddy?" five year old Chris said from the backseat.

"Yeah, bud?" Finn replied, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Why didn't mommy come?" Chris asked, sounding a little sad.

"Mommy's sick, Chris. She had to go to the doctor," Finn replied. "She'll pick you up though."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Finn chuckled. "But are you excited to start school?"

"Kinda," Chris replied. "Mommy said that I'm really smart and will make lots of friends."

"I'm sure she's right," Finn said with a smile. "And you can play drums, too. That's the coolest thing ever."

"Yeah. Drums are cool," Chris agreed, making Finn smile more widely.

All too soon, Finn pulled up to the school to take Chris to his first day of Kindergarten. Chris hopped out of the car with his Superman backpack over his shoulders. Finn had convinced him that Superman could beat all of the other superheroes in _everything_, so Chris just had to have a Superman backpack.

Finn held his son's hand as they walked into the building.

"Do you want me to walk you into the room?" Finn asked when they stopped outside of Chris's classroom.

"I'm five now, dad. I can do it," Chris said.

"Alright, buddy," Finn replied. "I love you."

"Love you, too, dad," Chris said. He walked through the door of the room before turning back around. "Hey, dad?"

"What's up?"

"Can you call mommy? I think she is crying. She was crying when we got my Superman bag ready," Chris said.

Finn smiled. "I'll call her," Finn said.

"Cool. Bye, dad," Chris called. Before Finn could respond, he was inside of the classroom. Finn then felt like crying, too. It was so hard to believe that Chris was already in school. Sometimes he wished that they could go back do the day he was born again.

Rachel walked down the hallway of Chris's new school with a smile on her face. She was feeling so much better after her visit from the doctor. In fact, she was sure that nothing could bring her down.

She waited in the hallway, where all the other parents of the new kindergarteners were waiting. She stood there anxiously, waiting to see how Chris's first day went. She was a little nervous that he would have a childhood like her and end up not having very many friends. She feared that he would be teased like she was. Well, that was always the normal concern of a mother. But then she remembered that Chris acted more like Finn when it came to social situations. Where she was snobby as a kid, Finn was kind and gentle.

Rachel told Finn while she was still pregnant that she hoped her child would be just like him. Thankfully, Chris was just as sweet and goofy as his dad.

He was also quite skilled at drumming for a five year old.

And he had a very sweet singing voice.

Even if he didn't posses all of these traits, Rachel would still love him with every fiber of her being.

The kids started walking out of the room and Rachel kept an eye out for her son. Soon, she spotted the dark brown hair that was cut similarly to Finn's.

"Hey mom!" she heard her son shout as he came to a stop in front of her. She reached down and kissed him on the top of the head.

"How was school?" she asked with a smile.

"It was awesome!" he gushed. "I have tons of friends already and we have music class tomorrow and they might let me play drums and stuff!"

"That's so great," Rachel replied. She stood up and held out her hand, which Chris grabbed.

"Are you feeling better? Dad said you went to the doctor," Chris said.

"I'm feeling so much better," Rachel said. "And your dad called me earlier and said you were worried about me crying."

"Yeah. I don't like seeing you sad," Chris replied. "Dad makes fun of you when your movies and stuff make you cry, but I feel sad when you cry, too."

"Have I ever told you that you are the sweetest little boy in the world?" Rachel asked, looking down at her son.

"Yeah. You say that all the time, mom," Chris said nonchalantly. Rachel smiled.

"Are you ready to go home?" she asked. "I need your help getting a surprise ready for your dad."

"Really? What is it?" Chris asked excitedly.

"I'll show you when we get home," Rachel said with a smile.

Finn arrived at the house around the same time as usual. He realized that the grass already needed to be cut again. It was a pain in the ass to cut the grass all the time, but he really did like owning his own house.

They had moved there a few months after Chris's first birthday after realizing that he needed a room of his own. It was a three bedroom house with a huge backyard. The kitchen was also pretty big, which was Rachel's favorite room in the house.

Finn walked through the front door with a smile, looking forward to hear about Chris's first day of school.

"Dad's home!" he heard Chris shout. Finn then listened as footsteps came running toward him. Chris rounded the corner and practically tackled Finn's legs.

"Hey, buddy! How was school?" Finn asked, reaching down to hug his son.

"It was cool but I gotta tell you later. Mom has a surprise," Chris gushed.

"Are you gonna tell me?" Finn asked in a whisper.

"Nope!" Chris said with a smile. "Mom said I can have ice cream if I don't tell you."

"Fine," Finn huffed. Chris reached up and grabbed Finn's hand, pulling him forward.

"Let's go!" he said excitedly.

"I'm coming. Jeez," Finn said with a smile. Finn walked into the kitchen, both nervous and excited. Rachel stood by the kitchen counter with a smile on her face.

"Hey, baby," Finn said, walking up to her and kissing her quickly on the lips.

"Welcome home," Rachel said warmly.

"What's this surprise Chris is all excited about?" Finn asked. Rachel smiled before stepping away from the counter. Finn then saw a strawberry cake sitting on the counter with the word "Congrats" on it.

"I helped mom make it!" Chris yelled.

"It looks awesome, buddy!" Finn said, holding his hand up for a high five. He then looked up to Rachel. "But what's it for?" he asked.

Rachel looked down at Chris. "You can give him the present now," she said with a smile. Chris smiled before running into the dining room. "He insisted on hiding it," Rachel said to Finn, making him laugh.

Chris ran back in with a present in his hands. "I wrapped it!" he said, holding it up to Finn. It was wrapped in old Christmas wrapping paper and was completely covered in tape.

"I can tell," Finn chuckled.

"Open it," Rachel said, getting excited. Finn smirked before attempting to tear the tape off of the package.

"Jeez, Chris," Finn complained with a smile.

"The tape makes a really cool noise if you pull it out really fast and then I had to use it all 'cause mom said I can't put it back on the roll thing," Chris explained.

Rachel laughed while Finn smiled.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of pulling tape off, Finn came to a box. He lifted the lid. Facing upwards was something that looked a lot like…

A sonogram.

"Wait," Finn said, looking from the picture to Rachel's smiling face. "Are you… are we…"

"I'm gonna be a big brother!" Chris yelled, beaming up at Finn.

"Seriously?" Finn asked, looking from Chris to Rachel.

"Yeah," Rachel said. She smiled before resting her hands on her stomach. "Are you ready to be a dad again?"

Instead of answering, he set the box on the counter and pulled Rachel into a searing kiss.

"Dad!" Chris complained. "Kiss mom later! I wanna eat the cake!"

THE END

-glee-glee-glee-

A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading! I know this ending could have been predicted, but I'm a sucker for fluff. Please leave some reviews with your thoughts. I appreciate every word you guys write! And I love the silent readers, too :)


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